The path to High Hedges and Other Nuisance Vegetation legislation is now being prepared by Fergus Ewing, Minister for Community Safety based upon detailed discussions with Lord McGhie and Eleanor Emberson at the highest echelons of Scots Law.
A well filled committee room of 20 MSPs and 9 researchers representing their MSPs met on Thurdsay 16th. to hear the Minister's undertaking to draft a Bill before the end of this Parliament and ready for presenting to the Chamber early in the New Parliament of whatever composition after the May 2011 election.
After over a decade of campaigning the Scothedge Team very much welcome this commitment by the Scottish Government to carry out this work over the final months of this Parliament and the very strong all party support given by MSPs.
We are working towards a much better Bill than the early Westminster legislation and look forward to presenting appropriate guidelines and advocating an implementation framework which will ensure universal access to the new law through low cost and if possible long arm execution required to reduce the influence of direct vested interest confrontation. There is a great deal of work to be done and we look forward to the anticipated further meetings between the Scottish Government and Scothedge to gain the best of possible outcomes.
It should be understood that Scothedge cannot draft legislation - we can only approve or disapprove a Government draft Bill. So far we appear to have attained items 1 and 2 on page 11 of this website.
The minutes and notes associated with the Thursday 16th. meeting may be read by clicking on the link.