HEARTBROKEN Bramshott landowner Aneska Williams has been told she has four months to pull down the disputed barns and stables that house her beloved horses. Mrs Williams broke down in tears as East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) was granted an injunction which will result in her stable facilitites being bulldozed. Now, after a battle with the council lasting eight years, she could face crippling legal bills of £17,000. The landowner appeared at Aldershot County Court last week in a desperate attempt to overturn enforcement orders which had been placed on buildings on her property. But Recorder Tim Lamb ruled in EHDC's favour saying that he could not base his decision on matters regarding previous planning decisions - something Mrs Williams had relied on during the case. A devastated Mrs Williams, speaking to The Herald shortly after the verdict was given, said she hoped to reach an agreement with the council before the four-month period had passed. She said: "I am very disappointed, but the case was lost on a point of law. "Everybody in the area thinks the property looks better. Why is it that one planning officer has more power than a judge? "I will try to enter into negotiations with the council and I hope that they will do it in the same spirit of trying to find a solution." In summing up, Tim Lamb praised Mrs Williams' determination and gave his reasons for handing out the injunction. He said: "She is plainly an intelligent and respectful person who has been let down by others. "Ultimately I am satisfied she will comply with my judgement." Earlier in the case, fellow defendant Celia Ross- Taylor, who keeps horses on Mrs Williams' land, attacked EHDC's handling of the situation. She said: "They (EHDC) have behaved absolutely appallingly to poor Mrs Williams. "She has been bullied, battered and thwarted at every turn. "She has done her absolute best with her limited knowledge and tried her best to sort it out. "If they had listened right from the beginning, none of this would have happened." Mrs Williams added: "I have always tried to be polite to them but they are big, powerful people and they are up against someone who is on her own. "I wasn't trying to build a power station, I was trying to put stables up, like for like." But EHDC responded by questioning whether Mrs Williams had in fact benefited from the amount of time that had elapsed since enforcement orders were made. Katie Skerrett, representing EHDC, said: "It is a matter of fact that four enforcement orders have been made and there was an appeal in 1999, which was lost. "To summarise, I would say that the issue is not whether the injunction should be granted but on what terms." And in a statement after the case, EHDC solicitor Sonia Sharp said: "As this matter dates back to 1998, we are pleased that the judge has supported the enforcement action which our planning department has taken. "We hope that the defendant will now comply with the injunction order and that this matter may be brought to a sensible conclusion."
