Residents banned from hanging out washing in their back gardens to protect ‘aesthetic’
27 April 2021, 09:59 | Updated: 27 April 2021, 10:12
A local councillor has criticised the rules after being contacted by residents in Edinburgh.
Some residents in Edinburgh have been banned from drying their washing outside, according to new reports.
A handful of housing bosses have made homeowners agree not to hang out their laundry in their gardens in title deeds, to protect the ‘aesthetic’.
The Shandon Gardens area, developed by AMA, is made up of 34 one, two and three bedroomed flats and four bedroom apartments.
As reported by The Sun, the title deeds from AMA’s development reads: “No clothes poles or clothes lines shall be erected on any part of the development common property or car park, nor shall they be attached or suspended from any window in any building or from any walls or interior common passage or stairs.
“The proprietor of a private garden shall not use his private garden for any purpose other than as ornamental or garden ground.
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“No garden sheds or stores or outhouses are permitted in private gardens without the consent of the managing agents.
“For the avoidance of doubt private gardens must not be used for the airing or drying of clothes.”
And a councillor has now hit out at the developers, saying residents have been forced to rely on costly tumble driers.
Leith Green Party councillor Chas Booth has claimed people in Greenbank Village, developed by CALA, have the same problem.
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While homes in West Bryson Road, run by property manager James Gibb Residential Factors, are also said to be affected.
Mr Booth told STV News: “Of course, there are a hundred bigger issues facing Edinburgh but it’s bizarre that there are so many newly-built private developments which try to ban people from drying washing outside, even in their own private gardens.
“In some of our most cherished conservation areas clothes drying is part of the character of the area, so quite why it should be deemed by some to be so offensive in newly-built developments is beyond me.
“Forcing people to dry damp clothes indoors or to use expensive and energy-hungry tumble-driers adds potential health and climate change insult to injury.
“To be honest, I strongly suspect that such rules are unenforceable and would be laughed out of court if anyone tried.
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“Let’s hope summer 2021 is a time of Edinburgh’s washing enjoying the free sun and wind.”
While representatives of AMA have declined to comment on the reports when approached by Edinburgh News, managing director of James Gibb, Nic Mayall, said that no complaints have been made so far.
CALA Homes insisted their ban is only for shared areas, with a spokesperson saying: “It is important that wherever possible homeowners are able to dry laundry in a manner that is considerate to neighbours and the environment.
“With this in mind, our homes with private gardens are supplied with whirligigs, while apartment private balconies can serve as a space to place a clothes airer on nice days.
“To ensure that the shared spaces of our apartment developments can be enjoyed by all, there will sometimes be restrictions within the deeds on the drying of laundry in communal areas or the attachment of clothes lines onto the building.”
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