A garden centre owner has warned his 70 staff they face an uncertain future following the local planning authority’s refusal to grant a lawful use certificate for developments on the site after years of wrangling.

Rob Scott, owner of Hare Hatch Sheeplands near Reading – a garden centre and farm shop on the site of the former Waterers Nursery on Twyford’s ‘floral mile’ – said Wokingham Borough Council’s decision was a huge blow to the business.

The council said this week they had “exhausted all avenues to find a solution” in the dispute, which pivots on the garden centre's expansion into green belt land.

The council’s Enforcement Notice says Scott must remove illegal structures, rip up unauthorized car parking and restore the affected area to grassland. They say the developments have an “:unacceptable impact” on the Green Belt and are a breach of the council’s Green Belt planning rules.

Scott said he believed he had made a strong case in proving the centre’s retail activities over the past 10 years were enough to merit a Certificate of Lawful Use.

“Our expert consultants also believed that we had done so, but sadly the council did not agree.”

Wokingham Council spokesperson Clare Lawrence said: “We have looked at every possible option within our control in the past few years to try and find a solution that wouldn’t undermine planning policies.

“We have tried. But it is vitally important we uphold planning policy to ensure the greenbelt is protected in the future.”

The council said in a statement: “Mr Scott was asked to remove some of the unlawful activities from the site to show his commitment to reaching a compromise – only to be replaced by further unauthorised development. Not only does this significantly undermine the council’s ability to reach a suitable compromise, but it also shows a complete disrespect to greenbelt policy and the current enforcement notice.”

Wyevale's Hare Hatch centre is on the opposite side of the road to Sheeplands.

Below: spring plants at Hare Hatch Sheeplands.