WAVERLEY Borough Council has finally called time on the unsightly concrete barriers erected by the FW Gibbs Trust as part of its standoff with the owners of Charter Walk.

The council is exercising special powers under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, and an enforcement notice will be served giving the trust one month to remove the obstruction.

Waverley had planned to serve the notice back in August, before deciding to allow the Gibbs Trust more time to try to resolve their differences with the owners of Charter Walk.

But the failure of both parties to come to an agreement meant that Waverley was left with no choice but to serve the notice.

The Gibbs Trust will have 28 days to appeal against the decision and then the notice will be served.

The large concrete blocks which have been in place for the past seven months are the result of a long-standing and complex dispute between the two parties.

It centres on an L-shaped strip of land, owned by the trust, which runs across the access to Charter Walk, owned by Chelsworth Leisure.

The dispute over access rights on the land went to court in May 2002.

The court found that Chelsworth Leisure had been trespassing on the trust's land and ordered it to pay damages and costs.

In April, the trust erected the bollards across the High Street car park entrance of Charter Walk, blocking pedestrian access to prevent further trespassing

Although the trust is legally within its rights to erect the barriers, the action sparked widespread fury in the town.

Local traders argued that the structures would threaten their businesses because pedestrians were inconvenienced.

It was further cited that the disabled and those with pushchairs would particularly suffer.

Until this point, Waverley has not intervened in the saga, despite receiving a number of complaints from residents.

Inspectors visiting the site said that bollards did not contravene planning regulations and that it was a matter between the two landowners.

But with no hopes of reconciliation in sight, officers proposed direct action.