Sheeplands Garden Centre faces closure threat caused by planning dispute
Rob Scott, the owner of Hare Hatch Sheeplands Garden Centre near Reading fears his business could be forced to close because of a planning dispute with the local council.
More than 100 jobs are at risk after negotiations to settle an enforcement notice broke down, with the fate of the site now resting on an appeal in four weeks’ time.
The garden centre offered to demolish some buildings to address some of the 15 breaches of planning permission raised by Wokingham Borough Council. “It appears they are trying to drive us out of business and we don’t know why," said Rob Scott.
“The council has suspended the negotiations that were taking place and told us they intend to concentrate their resources on the enforcement notice appeal on May 14.”
In October, the council gave the garden centre 18 months to rectify planning breaches for expanding into green belt land.
Mr Scott added: “The council has been saying one thing in public, but is doing the complete opposite by breaking off negotiations.
“This reaction comes as a bitter disappointment to us because for a long while we believed the council were truly committed to finding a constructive solution.”
He added the planning crisis has been compounded by the garden industry’s worst spring in memory.
Mr Scott said: “Councillor Baker [executive member for highways and planning] has gone on record as saying ‘The last thing we want to see is for the centre to go out of business,’ but that’s precisely what they are doing by their refusal to continue negotiations.
“If we lose the appeal next month Sheeplands will no longer be viable as a business and we will be forced to close. That means 102 people will be out of work and customers from throughout the area will have fewer shopping options.”
A council spokeswoman said: “Protection of the green belt is of paramount importance. Any relaxation not considered to be absolutely exceptional circumstances would encourage many others to try and build on the green belt.
“The decision on what are exceptional circumstances is a difficult one to define and who better than an appeal inspector to decide whether this is exceptional circumstances or not?
“We were approached by Hare Hatch Sheeplands about either withdrawing the enforcement notice or postponing the enforcement appeal inquiry to allow further negotiations.
"However, given the appeal has already been postponed twice, that the breaches are serious, and the lack of meaningful progress so far, it would not be right to postpone the inquiry again. We did not take this view lightly and did so with advice from our barrister."
The garden centre offered to demolish some buildings to address some of the 15 breaches of planning permission raised by Wokingham Borough Council.
