THE OWNER of Bourne Buildings Garden centre has vowed to appeal against the high court ruling which supported Waverley Borough Council's decision to refuse planning permission for the extended retail use of the site.
Glynn Evans will continue fighting both the ruling and the council in his bid to use a further quarter of an acre of land for the display and retail of garden furniture.
Waverley had objected to the extension on the grounds that it to had a detrimental and intrusive effect on the rural setting of Bourne Mill, a decision which the judge ruled should stand after Mr Evans missed the 28-day deadline to appeal.
Mr Evans has stated this "will not be the end of the matter" and is furious at the outcome which he said has come as no surprise:
"I know for a fact that the Lord Chancellor has instructed all judges to try to refuse appeals as much as possible and this is an impertinent system which does not work for the individuals."
Mr Evans believes Waverley should reassess their attitude towards local business and stop viewing Farnham as a rural setting:
"Time for calling Farnham a rural area is long gone, it is increasingly urbanised and the Bourne Mill site has always been used for commercial purposes."
He believes the Shepherd and Flock roundabout and the erection of Sainsbury's supermarket have already "substantially altered" the area and the extension of his garden centre will make little difference, a point which he says was reiterated by a planning inspector who viewed the site three years ago.
In a further attack on Waverley, Mr Evans has accused the council of having "double standards" and believes the council "depo" and yard is a "greater eye sore" than the additional garden furniture.
Mr Evans believes that the council consistently fail to support local businesses and is angry by the expense involved in planning application procedures, which he feels are simply wasting tax payers' money