In This Issue
Bents and The Old Railway Line win top awards at GCA Conference
Pictures from GCA Conference themed-party night
Top awards for garden centres at GCA conference
'Orse Racin' gets GCA Conference off to a head start
With Wyevale Garden Centres CEO and trading director set to depart, the plot thickens…
Azpects launch consumer range retailers have asked for
Happy start to the New Year, says GTN Bestsellers
What were the bestselling garden products of 2018?
Hilliers burlgars caught on CCTV
Nursery's printed blue pots resolve kerbside recycling issue.
Hare Hatch Sheeplands owner’s delight over court decision
Zest 4 Leisure smashes charity fundraising target
LOFAssured achieves 100% success rate
Karen awarded BEM for services to Cub Scouts
Contractors appointed for Tong GC's £4m development
What to expect at Glee at Spring Fair 2019
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
GIMA-LOFA seminar will bring you up to speed on working with agents
Garden lighting sales sparkle at start of the year
Early Bird gardeners get growing
Know your bestselling onions
Chirpy start for Wild Bird Care
Flying start to the year for plant sales
The best of last week's
Roger Mclaughlan set to leave as Wyevale GC announces management changes
Noma celebrate 80 years in glitzy style
GTN Bestsellers reveal the Top 100 Christmas products for 2018
Work begins on transformation of Notcutts Ditchling
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Spotlight on sustainability and efficiency at biggest ever Commercial Kitchen Show
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Hare Hatch Sheeplands owner’s delight over court decision

 

Wokingham Borough Council has been refused permission to appeal by Lady Justice Hallett DBE, Vice President of the Court of Appeal Criminal Division, against a ruling made at Reading Crown Court last year related to a prosecution action sought by the council.

 

Lady Justice Hallett also removed the reporting restriction that had been applied for by Wokingham Borough Council At the Crown Court in Reading in 2018, Hare Hatch Sheeplands plant nursery had claimed an "abuse of process" by the Council when it charged Sheeplands owner Rob Scott, and 10 others including six concession owners on the site, with the criminal offence of being in breach of an enforcement notice. 

 

Hare Hatch Sheeplands claimed that the Council was unfair in taking the decision to prosecute and that it was a "misuse" of the court process, particularly as full compliance had been achieved. 

 

At the Crown Court hearing Her Honour Judge Morris agreed with Hare Hatch Sheeplands, stating that owner Rob Scott had been "induced" by certain Wokingham Borough Councillors and Council officials to withdraw his appeal against the enforcement notice and added that this had the effect of denying him the opportunity to have the matter tested in the appropriate planning forum. 

 

Thereafter, she said, the Council "sought to gain advantage of this situation by prosecuting Mr. Scott for the alleged transgression of the enforcement notice, without him having recourse to the appeal process." 

 

Concluding her Judgement Her Honour Judge Morris had said: "The fact [Wokingham Borough Council] have chosen to do so under these circumstances, coupled with the clear, and in my view, inappropriate consideration of seeking to reclaim costs through the application of proceeds of crime, is unjust and unfair and so offends the court's sense of justice that it must stay the proceedings in respect of these defendants to protect the integrity of the criminal justice system."  

 

Following this Judgement Wokingham Borough Council applied for permission from the Court of Appeal at the Royal Courts of Justice to challenge Her Honour Judge Morris' Judgement.  

 

However, a two-day hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London last week ended with Lady Justice Hallett saying that the original judgement at Reading was "without fault and totally acceptable."

 

She refused to give the Council permission to appeal and confirmed that all defendants had been acquitted, meaning that criminal charges against Mr. Scott and the other individuals are now at an end. 

 

In her hour long summing up Lady Justice Hallett said the Council's decision to prosecute Mr. Scott "was flawed."

 

Her decision was supported by The Rt Hon Lord Justice Lindblom and The Rt Hon Mrs. Justice Carr, who also presided over the Court of Appeal proceedings. 

 

Following yesterday's hearing in the Count of Appeal, Mr Scott said that he would like to thank both Lady Justice Hallett and Her Honour Judge Morris for taking the time to prepare comprehensive and exonerating judgements.  

 

While Mr Scott is clearly delighted that the Judgements have been given in his favour, his desire is to work with Wokingham Borough Council to ensure the sustainable future of the nursery and associated services and facilities on the Hare Hatch Sheeplands Nursery site, that will both benefit the community and support the local plan for Ruscombe and Twyford. 

 

Mr Scott said that he would take every opportunity to open a dialogue with Wokingham Borough Council to further this objective.

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