SURREY County Council is locked in a row with residents after apparently restricting public access to the Farnham Library gardens off West Street.

George and Yolande Hesse, of Bishops Mead, have complained that the main gate into the garden by the library car park is “constantly locked”, preventing people from enjoying the grounds.

The couple, who together run Back to Front Architectural Design in West Street, claim the council and library staff have given a number of excuses for the locked gate.

These range from a frozen lock to the staff being unable to “get their hands in” to unlock the gate.

However, citing section 31 of the Highways Act 1980, Mr and Mrs Hesse claim the public has a legal right of way through the garden and have challenged the council to disprove this.

In an email to Surrey’s library service delivery manager Liz Hart, they said: “This is a public garden and increasingly we are getting the impression that Surrey County Council (SCC) are trying to permanently close this garden from local residents.

“First you ban dogs from walking in the garden. Many dog walkers have used this route to access Bishop’s Meadow for more than 20 years.

“Then the tennis courts have been removed from use, supposedly due to the treatment of knot weed, and then the bottom gates were blocked off and now the main gates into the garden is locked off and the grass is not being cut.

“So what is the real reason SCC are shutting us out of this public garden?

“Councillor Denise Le Gal says it is due to increased vandalism in Farnham, but this has been everywhere in Farnham - especially Gostrey Meadow and that has not been closed.

“Prior to SCC taking over the ‘maintenance’ of the garden it was open on weekends and bank holidays. Many residents in West Street do not have a garden and this facility is highly valued.”

Responding, a Surrey council spokesman said: “We have always encouraged residents and users of the library to use the gardens during opening hours and, while outside these times the surrounding area offers a range of open green spaces such as Victoria Park and Bishops Meadow, we will continue to maintain the library grounds to ensure they remain a place that all can be proud of and enjoy visiting.”

Mr and Mrs Hesse also copied Farnham town clerk, Iain Lynch, into their email, who expressed an interest in taking the library gardens back under the town council’s management.

Mr Lynch said: “Farnham Town Council would be interested in discussing with Surrey County Council how it can help with enabling the long-established public use of the library gardens to continue, and has previously indicated it would be happy to take on the management of the library gardens again if an appropriate agreement can be reached.

“In addition the town council has also confirmed it can arrange for the opening and closing of the gardens, as it did previously, if this would be helpful.

“The town council is keen that this important local community green space can continue to be a place of quiet enjoyment for all.”

Liz Hart, Surrey’s library service delivery manager, also added she would “be looking into all the matters raised in due course”.