Overgrown hedges in the West End have been an on-going issue in the past few years and, being aware of my interest in this issue - on behalf of constituents - the Scottish Liberal Democrats' Head of Policy and Research in the Scottish Parliament kindly advised me today of the following news release from Scottish Government. It has taken a long time for Scottish Government to get to this consultation stage and I am hoping 
there will now be prompt action to tackle the issue :
there will now be prompt action to tackle the issue :Combating 'hedge rage' : 14/08/2009
Views are being sought on how neighbourly disputes over high hedges can be resolved more effectively.
This could include encouraging the inclusion of hedge height limits in property title deeds, better mediation options, or examining the case for a new law on the issue.
Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing said:
"High hedge disputes should be a relatively trivial matter, with those involved resolving things with a simple neighbourly chat.
"But for those involved, the issue can sometimes be far from trivial and we have seen from recent cases that such disputes can, in a relatively small number of instances, get out of hand.
"What starts off as an amicable discussion can often spiral out of control leading to confrontation and antisocial behaviour in our communities.
"Thankfully, it appears there are only a relatively small number of people affected by this, but with a marked rise in correspondence from the public on this we want to examine the issue and see if anything more can be done.
"Of course, there is existing legislation in place to deal with any dispute which does get out of hand, but is there anything we could do to stop hedge disputes getting to that stage?
"The answer may be that existing powers need to be strengthened to deal with the various issues at hand, or that there are options other than legislation, but it is almost a decade since this was last looked at by a Government in Scotland, and we want to ask the question.
"I am keen to hear the views of as many people as possible on this and I would encourage anyone with an interest to respond."
Cllr Harry McGuigan, COSLA Community Wellbeing and Safety Spokesperson said:
"I recognise the misery that some people feel as a result of disputes with their neighbours about high hedges and welcome this consultation paper, which takes a sensible look at a wide range of possible options.
"Further I encourage local authorities to respond in order to help provide better clarity about the scale and nature of the problem and inform decisions about the most appropriate way forward.
"Clearly helping neighbours in our communities to avoid such disputes in the first place would be the best solution and we are working in partnership with the Scottish Government to help prevent all forms of antisocial behaviour in Scotland".
Dr Colin Watson, from the organisation Scothedge, said:
"We are campaigning on behalf of over 250 people affected by uncontrolled and poorly maintained trees and hedges. In our experience the problem arises because under current law there is simply no requirement for a hedge grower to consider the impact his actions are having on his neighbour.
We welcome the news that the Scottish Government is seeking a solution to this problem. Our members cover the length and breadth of Scotland from Skye to Dumfries and Arran to Fife."
The consultation period will last for three months, concluding on November 13. The responses will be analysed and a full report of the analysis will be published in early 2010.