Fife Council has issued an order for the removal of the half pip ramp erected in Ross Salitura’s Kinglassie back garden.

The 29-year-old regularly uses the ramp to practice his skateboarding skills. He was given the £1,000 self-assembly ramp as a Christmas present. It is 23ft long and 7ft wide and has 4ft raised platforms at both ends.

Officials from the council ruled he had breached planning rules and have issued an enforcement notice ordering him to remove the ramp.

Mr Salitura has argued that he only uses the ramp for exercise and practices his boarding on a Wednesday when he is not working. He has declared that he only uses it when the majority of his neighbours are out at work and denies he is causing disruption.

A letter to Mr Salitura said: “It is plainly visible from neighbouring gardens, being higher than surrounding boundary treatments, and the combination of its height and ‘homemade’ appearance serves to enhance its harmful amenity. The height of the platforms is such that neighbouring privacy is unacceptably reduced, as anyone using the ramp will be plainly visible from neighbouring houses and gardens, as well as being able to overlook neighbouring houses and gardens.”

Mr Salitura has subsequently appealed to the Scottish Government.

In his letter to the government, he said: “It is not used as a base to intrude on neighbours or used in any manner as some sort of ‘decking’ as the formal notice dictates. The use of the ramp is not continuous and when in use, it is always within a reasonable hour, or on my one day off from work, which is Wednesday. Which I again state, I use the ramp during the day, when a majority of people are at work and children at schools, therefore, minimising any disruption that anyone is trying to claim. I am very respectful of timings when using the ramp, which is not always the case with neighbouring children on trampolines, parents in the streets and neighbours who hold regular parties outside of social hours.”

Derek Simpson of Fife Council said: “We received a complaint about the skateboard ramp and investigated. The outcome of our investigation was that the skateboard ramp had an adverse visual impact on the surrounding area and also caused a loss of privacy to neighbours. We served an enforcement notice for its removal but an appeal against this has since been submitted to the Scottish Government.”

A reporter is expected to make a decision in due course.