Adobe StockAn Aberdeen couple have been ordered to return ancient woodland they decided to adopt as part of their back garden.
Pamela Horne and her husband applied to Aberdeen City Council for permission to change the use of the public ground behind their home at Middleton Circle.
Mrs Horne argued the “neglected” open land in Bridge of Don had been “enhanced” under her ownership since she took it on four years ago.
She explained that she had removed “hazardous” vegetation and installed bat boxes and birdhouses to help biodiversity in the area.
Mrs Horne revealed she had spoken to multiple parties, including the landowner, and claimed she did not get any objections.
She also believed that as the fencing was installed four years ago, she was “immune from enforcement action”.
In 2019, the homeowner installed a timber fence around the land, along with a gate and small steps to adjust to the ground level change.
She hoped that by adopting the land, she would save it from litter louts and an “encroachment of weeds”.
The matter recently went before the local review body.
Planner Lucy Greene revealed that Aberdeen City Council did not own the land but was unsure who actually did.
She also revealed that Mrs Horne suggested councillors visit the site to get a better understanding of why the extension was needed.
But, local authority planners stated that the unauthorised extension had resulted in the loss of a valued area of open space.
And, they thought the irregular boundary now in the neighbourhood would negatively impact the character and appearance of the suburban area.
Planning chiefs also said the retrospective application should be refused as it went against council policy and the local development plan.
Councillor Neil Copland believed officers were “spot on” to want the application refused, branding it a “land grab”.
He said: “The applicant has implied that they’ve contacted the landowner, but at the same time, they say that ownership is unclear.
“And then they say ‘anyway, you can’t do anything about it because it’s been there for four years’.
“That would tend to suggest they’ve made a land grab and think we can’t do anything about it – well, we can.”
Mr Copland added: “It would set a very dangerous precedent if we allow somebody to grab somebody else’s ground and build on it to suit themselves.
“We simply cannot allow someone to just grab a bit of land and put fence around it.”
Councillors went on to unanimously refuse the application.
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