Ealing North
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Steve Pound MP Ealing North |
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National News - 18 November 2003 Last night in the House of Commons, a victory was won for the thousands of victims of high hedges across the country. Steve Pound who had earlier this year tabled his Private Member's Bill to tackle this serious problem, was delighted when the contents of the bill were passed as part of the government's Anti-Social Behaviour Bill last night. Steve said, "I've already started receiving e-mails and faxes from people right across the country for whom this bill will make a real and lasting difference to the quality of their lives." "We were knocked down by Christopher Chope and co. weeks ago but we've got back up again. It's been a long slog but I hope that the current victims of high hedges can very soon live in the peace they are long overdue and deserve." Amendment debate High Hedges Back on the Agenda National News - 20th October 2003 Steve has worked together with Minister Yvette Cooper, to add to the government's Anti-Social Behaviour Bill the proposals that had been set out in the previous High Hedges Bill. Below are some of the articles from the national press:
18 October 2003 - The Guardian The government yesterday declared war on light depriving leylandii hedges, describing them as one of the worst forms of anti-social behaviour and announcing plans to give councils power to chop back any offending hedge higher than two metres (roughly 6ft 6in). Oversized leylandii have led to more than 10,000 un-neighbourly disputes. Some have ended in court cases, violence, and in one case murder followed by suicide. Frustrated neighbours have even set up websites to vent their spleen at overweening neighbours. A private member's bill put by Stephen Pound, the Labour MP for Ealing North, giving councils powers to intervene in disputes over large organic matter was blocked by the anti-statist Tory MPs Christopher Chope and Edward Leigh in June. But in an ingenious piece of parliamentary footwork the local government minister, Yvette Cooper, and Mr Pound have come up with a proposal to amend the anti-social behaviour bill by giving councils powers to chop down oversized hedges. FULL ARTICLE... 
High noon nears for the rampant anti-social hedge18 October 2003 - The Times Leylandii hedges, the scourge of suburban Britain, will be cut down to size by new government measures aimed at curbing antisocial behaviour. Downing Street announced yesterday that local authorities would be given powers to arbitrate in disputes between neighbours and judge when a hedge has grown too tall. The plans will be rushed through Parliament as an amendment to the Antisocial Behaviour Bill, ranking Britain’s most popular hedging plant alongside burnt-out cars, graffiti and thuggery as a menace to society. Under the proposals, a resident would be able to obtain a local authority ruling against neighbours ordering them to trim back a hedge if it grows over 2m (6½ft) high and blocks light or access to property. FULL ARTICLE... Letters to the Editor of the Times newspaper 
Ministers stop hedging on a big suburban issue18 October 2003 - The Independent The end is finally in sight for "skyscraper" leylandii hedges which block light, cause subsidence and dramatically reduce property values. For years MPs have been inundated with protests about neighbours' hedges, which can rocket to 40ft in 10 years. This year, one dispute over a hedge led to a 66-year-old man shooting his neighbour dead in Lincolnshire and later hanging himself in a jail cell. Yesterday the Government announced plans to give councils the power to intervene in "high hedge" disputes. FULL ARTICLE... 
Has the High Hedges Bill Had its Day?National News - 17th September, 2003 With the High Hedges Bill's progress blocked by backbench Tory MPs, Steve took the opportunity at Prime Minister's Question Time to ask what plans there might be for its ressurection: Steve Pound "Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. You will be aware that the High Hedges [No. 2] Bill died a "mute, inglorious" death a few weeks ago on the Floor of this very Chamber. This Bill, which was piloted with great skill, ability and intelligence through the upper House by my colleague, Baroness Gardner of Parkes, and by a rather less distinguished parliamentarian in this House, deserves a second chance. Will my right hon. Friend give the High Hedges [No. 2] Bill the chance to rise again — even though that will cause some pain to the hon. Member for Christchurch [Mr. Chope]?" Prime Minister - Tony Blair "Well, it says—I understand the disappointment of my hon. Friend that his Bill did not make better progress, but the Government have had a long-standing commitment since August 2000 to bring forward new laws to give local authorities in England and Wales powers to determine complaints about high garden hedges and will make every effort to get them on to the statute book at the earliest opportunity. I cannot say better than that. "
Gazette Article - July 2003 I was that close. On Friday 11th.July my High Hedges Bill had its last chance on the floor of the House of Commons. After nine months work I was on the last lap and the Bill was seconds away from becoming law. The experience has certainly been an education. In the autumn of 2002 I drew a high number in the annual ballot for Private Members Bills. Having tried to deal with some heartbreaking cases in which decent ordinary people had their lives made an absolute misery by the malicious or unthinking cultivation of Leylandii trees by their neighbours I decided to take up the High Hedges Bill which had come before the House on four previous occasions. I genuinely doubted that anyone could object to a brief and effective Bill that would provide some hope for the forty thousand plus “hedge victims”. Full Article Chope Chokes Hedges Bill at Third Reading National News - 23rd June, 2003 Last Friday (20th June) hopes of around 40,000 sufferers of high hedges around the country were raised and dashed in a single afternoon as a Tory MP committed "Blue Murder" to the private member's bill in full public view. Chirstchurch's Christopher Chope, choked the contents of the bill as he tabled 50 amendments to the bill. Many in the House and around the country were astounded by Chope's actions, especially considering he had been invited to the Committee stage of the bill so that he could raise any such issues, but failed to turn up. "How can we as Parliamentarians stand up to the tens of thousands of people we represent and say, well I had the opportunity to make a real difference, but I come first! That's what Chope did on Friday and it is simply unforgivable. I will work with Ministers to ensure that Parliament has another shot of making this bill law by the end of the year." I trust that Mr Chope will stand up as tall as the alleged conifers he owns when the bill comes back to parliament and not hold back progress for 40,000 victims across the country. Links on the High Hedges Bill: Hedge Line Website Full Debate in the House of Commons Get in touch with Christopher Chope: Phone, Fax or Write (House of Commons Switchboard: 020 7219 5808). High Hedges Bill to seek final stage in Commons National News - 16th June, 2003 Steve Pound's Private Members Bill on high hedges will see its final stage in the House of Commons this Friday - 20th June. Should the bill receive the support it needs it will then go through the necessary stages in the House of Lords before it gets onto the statute books as a law. For more on the High Hedges Bill in the special section of the site. Or contact your MP and see if they will be supporting the bill. If you need to get their details or do not know who are they are click here. High Hedges Bill gets through Standing Committee Scrutiny National News - 8th May, 2003 The Standing Committee that was to look at the bill in detail met on the 7th May and discussed many points of the bill. READ ALL ABOUT THE STANDING COMMITTEE: Members of the Committee What the committee had to say THE LATEST VERSION OF THE BILL Explanatory Notes A briefing on what the bill entails and what it will mean for people who currently suffer from the problem of high hedges is given below: HIGH HEDGES BRIEFING. The final stage of the bill will see it's Third Reading in the House of Commons on 20th June High Hedges Bill: Second Reading passes on 28th March National News - 31st March, 2003 The Second Reading of the Bill was heard in the House on the 28th March from just before 1:00pm. The Bill was presented by Steve, and received the necessary support to get to the next stage of the bill, where there will be a standing committee to look at the bill in detail. READ THE DEBATE Steve to introduce Private Members' Bill National News - 10th December, 2002 Steve Pound MP is to utilise his opportunity at changing the face of Britain and defending the rights of neighbours by introducing a "High Hedges Bill". Steve's article for the Ealing Gazette gives a detailed account as to why he has chosen this particular issue for his private members bill. EALING GAZETTE ARTICLE. Below are links as to what the National Press had to say...
Scourge of suburbia is cut down to size9 December 2002 - The Independent EDITORIAL: Politicians get a poor enough press, so let us give praise where it is due. Stephen Pound, the honourable member for Ealing North, has added to the gaiety of the nation since he was elected five years ago. Now, he is making a stand, not just on behalf of the suburbanites of the northern part of Ealing, but of people living next to hedges everywhere. Should a 12m leylandii be exempt from planning regulations because it is not a building? Of course not. And what are backbenchers for, if not to propose laws to curb such things as the "grotesque green giants" marching, Triffid-like, through leafy middle England? MAIN ARTICLE... 
Leylandii may face chainsaw massacre 9 December 2002 - The Guardian It could be the biggest news in the world of hedges since Birnam wood came to Dunsinane. The government is promising support for moves to restrain the alarming march of leylandii, the fast-growing conifers which have plunged gardens into shadow and set neighbours at war across suburban Britain. A bill to be introduced in parliament on Wednesday will extend planning laws, which currently cover only man-made constructions such as buildings or fences, to "organic" materials - planner-speak for hedges. FULL STORY... 
MP presses for Leylandii chop9 December 2002 - BBC News The Leylandii fir could soon cease to be the basis for cold wars between neighbours if a Labour backbencher has his way. The fast-growing conifer - which can reach a height of 40ft - has provoked anger from residents across the UK, as well as causing disputes which have ended in expensive court action. Now Stephen Pound MP will introduce a private members' bill on Wednesday which would allow homeowners to apply to have neighbours' hedges trimmed. FULL STORY... |
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