Rangers icon Ally McCoist has found himself at the centre of an unexpected and increasingly tense neighbour dispute after a Bridge of Weir resident escalated a long-running disagreement to the Scottish Government.
The football legend and popular television pundit is now indirectly involved in an official appeal after neighbour Alan Tyers challenged Renfrewshire Council’s decision not to issue a “high hedge notice” concerning two towering sycamore trees located near the properties.
The disagreement has quickly become a major talking point after details emerged surrounding claims of blocked light, falling debris, roof damage, and fears over potential tree collapse during severe weather conditions.
Neighbour Takes Complaint to Scottish Ministers
Mr Tyers initially sought intervention under the High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013, legislation designed to help residents resolve disputes involving large trees or hedges that negatively affect neighbouring homes.
However, Renfrewshire Council ultimately rejected the application, concluding that the trees — despite reportedly exceeding 27 metres in height — did not “adversely affect the enjoyment” of the neighbouring property to a level that justified formal enforcement action.
That ruling has now been formally appealed to the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division, where the case is currently awaiting assignment to a reporter for review.
A target date of July 28 has reportedly been set for the next stage of consideration.
“I Am Living With Real Fear”
In his appeal submission, Mr Tyers outlined the growing anxiety he says the trees have caused over recent years, particularly during storms and periods of high winds.
“These are fast-growing, very old sycamores, which combined with increased storm activity and high wind events over recent years in line with climate change, have meant that the problem has increased year on year.
I am now living with the real fear and risk of tree collapse onto my house.”
He also claimed that falling branches have already damaged parts of his roof during adverse weather and described how some upstairs rooms become effectively unusable during storms due to safety concerns and noise from falling debris.
“During storms the upstairs rooms to that side of the house overshadowed by the trees are unusable for fear of tree collapse and by virtue of noise of falling debris.
The trees overhang my rear door and block out light from the rear windowed door area, causing my rear hallway to be darkened.”
Council Refused High Hedge Notice
Despite those concerns, Renfrewshire Council maintained its position that formal intervention was not justified after assessing the wider characteristics of the area and surrounding properties.
Planning officials explained that they considered the overall scale of the neighbouring plots, the arrangement of the trees, and the broader site conditions before reaching their conclusion.
“It is not considered that the height of the high hedge adversely affects the enjoyment of the domestic property to which an occupant of that property could reasonably expect to have.
A high hedge notice should not be served.”
However, Mr Tyers strongly disagrees with that assessment and insists the issue has severely affected his quality of life and enjoyment of his home.
“I should be allowed reasonable enjoyment of my property without the adverse effects of a neighbour’s high hedge which had been unmaintained for decades to the point it impacts the enjoyment of my home through blocking light to a bedroom, rear doorway and causing damage and fear of injury.”
Ally McCoist Yet to Comment
At the time of writing, representatives for Ally McCoist have not publicly commented on the dispute.
The situation has nevertheless generated widespread attention online, with football supporters surprised to see the beloved Rangers legend involved in such an unusual off-field controversy.
McCoist remains one of the most iconic figures in Rangers history, celebrated for his incredible goalscoring achievements during his playing career at Ibrox and his continued popularity as a football pundit across the UK.
Yet while the football world usually associates his name with trophies, goals, and television appearances, this latest dispute has unexpectedly placed him in the middle of a legal and environmental disagreement that could continue for months.
What Happens Next?
The appeal will now proceed through the Scottish Government’s planning appeals process, where an independent reporter will review the submissions before determining whether the council’s original decision should stand.
Should the appeal succeed, the case could potentially result in further action concerning the maintenance or reduction of the trees.
Until then, the dispute remains unresolved — and fans across Scotland will be closely watching to see how the unusual situation involving the Rangers legend develops.
What do you think about the dispute involving Ally McCoist? Should councils intervene more often in neighbour hedge disputes, or was the original ruling fair? Let us know in the comments below.