A home owner has been refused permission to move his garden fence to enclose all of his side garden despite claims a hedge on the boundary will reach the same height.
Karl Smith applied to move the 6ft fence at the side of his house in Gorebridge to the pavement, enclosing a strip of grass and hedge which varied between 35cm and 2 metres wide.
However Midlothian planners described the plans for the corner house on Whitehouse Way as 'harsh' and rejected them.
READ MORE: Retired East Lothian couple fight to keep 6ft fence which replaced 20ft high hedge
The decision came despite the council's roads services manager noting that it would have no more impact than hedging already planted at the side of the footpath.
They told planners: "If the existing hedge was allowed to grow to full height any visibility benefits would be lost."
The planning officers report said that during a visit to the house the applicant was asked if he would consider moving the fence behind the hedge to present a "less harsh frontage".
However the report said: "The applicant was not agreeable to this and advised that if planning permission was refused he would still remove the hedge and grass and hard surface the area outside the fence.
"He has also since enquired if planning permissions would be required for a 1m high fence adjacent to the pavement.
"He was advised that planning permission would not be required from the council for this."
Refusing the application to move the fence, planners said: "The proposed fence would be a very prominent feature presenting a harsh frontage in the street scene with a detrimental impact on the character and visual amenity of the surrounding area."
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