My neighbour’s 47ft trees block out the sunshine & make our lives a misery – but now we’ve had the last laugh

A MAN who claimed his neighbour’s 47ft trees were blocking light to his solar panels has won a fight to have them chopped down.

Philip Kenyon said his family’s lives were being made a misery by towering trees owned by Murray and Morag Wright in Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway.

He claimed they towered over his property and blocked light to his garden and kept sunshine away from his kitchen and lounge.

He also said the trees were causing a 20 per cent reduction in solar yield from panels he had installed on his roof.

The Wrights insisted the trees offered them privacy at their home and reduced noise from a nearby railway and motorway.

Kenyon turned to Dumfries and Galloway Council under high hedge laws in a bid to have them lopped.

But the local authority rejected the move after carrying out inspections at his property.

Kenyon appealed the decision to the Scottish Government.

However he has now withdrawn the appeal after the Wrights chopped down all but one of the trees, which had been the cause of the dispute.

In a letter sent to the government, Kenyon said: “My family experiences the following, and I maintain it is not reasonable to do so.

“No late afternoon and evening sunshine in the garden, no summer sunshine in kitchen windows and sun lounge and a 20 per cent loss in solar yield through summer months.

“If this appeal is unsuccessful, can you confirm how much higher the trees need to grow before another high hedge application would be successful?”

In response to the appeal bid, the Wrights said: “We are on higher ground looking down towards the trees while he is on lower ground looking across at them.

“Our trees could be regarded as forming part of a small wood.

“The trees are beneficial to us for privacy as well as reducing motorway noise and in particular railway noise.

“They freshen the air and enhance our garden.

“Mr Kenyon’s complaint to us was lack of sunlight from 3pm in late summer in his garden, he did not mention lack of light in his house or solar panels when we spoke with him.”

In their refusal to grant a high hedge notice, Dumfries and Galloway Council said: “As a result of our investigations which have now taken place, no action will be taken in relation to the hedge. A high hedge notice will not be served.”

But earlier this week, Kenyon dropped his appeal bid and told the government: “I can inform you that Mr and Mrs Wright have had all but one of the trees removed. Therefore I wish to formally withdraw my appeal.”

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