WHENEVER I visit my parents the first thing I see as I drive up is the washing line.

Nine times out of ten it is alive with sheets and duvet covers, billowing in the wind like sails on a galleon.

To my mind, there are few better sights than a line of washing. Whites in particular look fabulous pegged out to dry, in settings from remote moorland farmhouses to inner city flats. In Mediterranean countries washing lines, criss-crossing narrow streets or draped over balconies, add colour to towns and cities..

A line of newly-washed clothes can bring a smile to your face. Years ago, I used to pass a small washing line hung in a tiny space between two houses within spitting distance of busy Manchester Road in Bradford. It was always full of washing and the sight, in such a grey environment, was uplifting, although I always worried that traffic grime would find its way into the newly-clean garments.

On the North York Moors, I once drove past a cottage with a single line of gigantic white knickers. It was in the days before sophisticated mobile phones, and I cursed the fact that I did not have a camera.

Washing lines are wonderful, adding interest and life to an area. But not everyone thinks so. In Edinburgh housing bosses have banned residents from hanging their washing outside in the private back gardens of their homes for ‘aesthetic purposes’. The rule affects people living at several new private developments across the Scottish capital.

How sad. Washing lines add interest and life to an area. If anything they improve the landscape.

It’s not the first time washing lines have been banned. I’ve read of similar rules being enforced in other parts of the UK, including Yorkshire.

And it’s nothing new. Back in the 19th century one of the regulations imposed by textile mill owner Sir Titus Salt upon the residents of Saltaire stated: ‘No washing to be hung out to dry in front or behind any of the properties, or in the vicinity of the village.’

Why anyone thinks a line of washing unsightly beats me and, as we strive to be more eco-friendly to fight climate change, why discourage people from drying clothes naturally, in the fresh air? The alternative is an energy-hungry tumble dryer. White goods also need disposing of when they’ve reached the end of their life. Using a couple of poles is 100 per cent greener - and it’s free.

The issue may seem trivial, but it isn’t. In the US, there is a protest movement surrounding washing lines. Rallies have been held to make a stand against rules imposed by community associations and landlords who forbid home owners from drying their washing outside because, they say, it’s unsightly and can lower property prices.

Clothes line advocates have risked legal action by disobeying the rule, saying it is the duty of Americans to reduce their carbon footprint. Several states have even passed laws stopping housing authorities from banning clothes lines. In a communal setting, hanging out the washing is also sociable, giving neighbours the chance to chat.

I love hanging out my washing. Like my mum, I like to see it catching the breeze. My garden is overlooked by my neighbours - who also have a washing line. We are accustomed to seeing each other’s clothing, undies and all. I love taking it in, all clean and aired. Sheets feel so much fresher when they’re dried outside.You can only hope the powers that be in Edinburgh see sense and allow people to let the sun and wind dry their washing.