National Trust accused of using 'bully-boy' tactics over garden centre
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The National Trust has been accused of using “bully-boy” tactics to shut down a garden centre business run by a friend of the royal family.
Former courtier Colin Campbell-Preston is facing eviction from the centre he set up 21 years ago on trust land at Morden Hall Park.
The National Trust — which has an annual income of close to half a billion pounds — has called in lawyers to force him and his company, Capital Gardens, from the site in south-west London.
The charity says he is guilty of a series of apparently minor breaches of contract, which include failing to provide “toilet roll dispensers”.
When he was a teenager Mr Campbell-Preston, 55, was a page to the Queen Mother, while his own mother, Dame Frances, now 95, spent four decades as a lady-in-waiting to George VI’s queen, becoming a close confidante.
He is also vice-chairman of the Garden Museum, of which Prince Charles is patron. Charles is president of the National Trust — having taken over the role from the Queen Mother.
Mr Campbell-Preston said: “If Prince Charles knew how the National Trust is behaving, I am sure he would be shocked and appalled. They are using bully-boy tactics to force us out. They are destroying people’s livelihoods.”
He said the trust had told him it did not wish to renew a 21-year lease. But it can only do so by showing Capital Gardens is in breach of its contract, by alleging it has failed to maintain the site.
The business, which has more than 20 staff, will shut by the end of the year if the trust succeeds.
Mr Campbell-Preston said: “We first got wind the trust wanted to throw us out in October, when we got this letter saying we hadn’t done all this building repair work and they wanted us out.” Complaints included “the toilet roll dispensers in the toilets have been removed” and “hot water supply to the toilets is not operational”.
Capital Gardens was blamed for failing to prune fruit trees, though the trust later admitted it was paid by the garden centre to do that.
Mr Campbell-Preston said the site was derelict until he turned it into a successful business, building a planting area, gift shop and café. Meanwhile the National Trust property next to it — 18th-century Morden Hall — is in disrepair and boarded up.
Nic Durston, assistant director of operations for the trust in London, said: “We are in discussions with Capital Gardens about the future of the garden centre and have shared our intention that we would like to take it into our care. We hope that we can continue to work with Capital Gardens to find a resolution.”
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