Proposed legislation designed to help people adversely affected by high hedges bordering their domestic property was outlined to the Northern Ireland Assembly today.

Highlighting a public consultation on a draft High Hedges Bill, Environment Minister Edwin Poots outlined the extent of the widespread problem.

The Minister said: "The availability of low-cost and often very fast-growing hedges, which have sometimes not been well-maintained, has increasingly led to disputes between neighbours about hedges and, of course, a lot of ill feeling can arise if these issues are allowed to fester.

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"This is an issue which I cannot ignore – loss of light due to a neighbouring high hedge has a significant impact on the reasonable enjoyment of a person’s property and needs to be dealt with urgently."

Mr Poots continued: "I am encouraged by the fact that my Department has already received numerous consultation responses from members of the public who welcome the proposals and are supportive of the draft Bill.

"This issue has generated remarkable public debate over many years and therefore I urge everyone with an interest in this subject to write to my Department with their views as soon as possible. All responses will be considered very carefully before the Bill is finalised."

Public consultation on the draft bill is scheduled to run until 1 March.

(NS/GK)