A retired woman in East Lothian, Scotland, faced a surprising request from the council to obtain planning permission for a wooden plant container in her front garden. This request came after a neighbor complained about the structure overshadowing their privacy due to the amount of time the woman spent tending to her plants.
The wooden planter, measuring approximately 7m in length, 0.9m in width, and 0.8m in height, was installed by Jane Higgins, 74, who diligently cares for the flowers and decorations in it on a daily basis. Despite her family’s initial disbelief at the need for planning permission, they complied and went through the process, incurring costs for architect and planning fees.
After much effort and expense, permission was eventually granted for the planter to remain in place. The council’s decision highlighted that the planter’s visibility from the public road did not pose any significant issues to the surrounding area. Issues raised by the objector, such as parking disruption and cat-related concerns, were deemed irrelevant in the planning considerations.
Jane’s son, Craig Higgins, expressed his family’s frustration with the situation, describing the ordeal as “ridiculous.” He emphasized the unnecessary stress caused by the planning process and the unexpected need for consent. Despite the challenges, the family found some humor in the situation, noting the absurdity of the complaints against the simple garden feature.
While the neighbor’s objections also extended to CCTV cameras installed at Jane’s home, permission for these security measures was also granted as part of the planning application. Overall, the family, along with their neighbors, found the entire ordeal amusing and unbelievable, given the innocuous nature of the garden planter.
