BRAMSHOTT residents have rallied in support of a local horse lover accused by East Hampshire District Council of putting up stables without planning permission.

Following a story last week, The Herald has received a number of letters, phone calls and emails in support of Aneshka Williams' stables on land next to Overstream in Portsmouth Road.

Mrs Williams had submitted a planning application for a certificate of lawfulnes, for the land to continue to be used for stabling, exercising and grazing.

This has since been refused by EHDC on the grounds that an enforcement notice is already in existence on the site.

The land has been a source of contention for nearly six years as Mrs Williams has repeatedly tried to obtain council permission to use it .

Celia Ross-Taylor is a friend of Mrs Williams and uses the stables to ride. She described the situation as "an absolute disgrace".

"The council has treated her appallingly," she told The Herald. "The state it was in before, it was dreadful, a complete junk heap.

"Now it's completely different," she claimed.

Mrs Ross-Taylor also claimed that Mrs Williams' neighbours feel very strongly about the issue.

"It's totally unfair and unjust that the council are going on like this," she said. "They're spending the council tax money of people who want her there, to get her out."

Huber Hughes from Church Road wrote a letter in support. "When my wife moved here more than 14 years ago, the land in question, which borders our property, was overgrown with brambles and was an eyesore," he claimed. "Now it's not."

Mrs Williams strongly criticised EHDC's attitude.

"They just don't care about what people think, what neighbours think," she claimed. "I can't understand it, it's bureaucracy gone mad."

Mrs Williams said that the stables are only for private use, and explained the history of the site.

"Six years ago, I came down from Wales where planning restrictions are fairly lax," she said. "I chose this because of the previous stable use, going back to 1966."

However, one of the existing stables was facing the wrong way for Mrs Williams' needs, so she started work to move it the other way.

"The mistake I made, and I freely admit it, was to make the stables so they were facing each other," she said. "I didn't think you would need planning permission."

Soon after they were built, she was visited by someone from EHDC, who said that she needed planning permission. EHDC argued that the stables were"harmful to the countryside".

"They wanted to put up stop and enforcement notices," she said. "They've been trying to get me out for all this time," she claimed.

Mrs Williams appealed against the notice to remove the stables, but a government planning inspector supported EHDC's view. She claimed that the efforts at putting her case across were hampered.

"I wasn't allowed to show him photos of how it was before, and the public hearing was an absolute farce," she said. "I was told 'you can't discuss this, you can't discuss that'."

Wanting to resolve the situation, she approached a planning firm in Godalming which arranged a meeting with EHDC to see what could be done.

Mrs Williams claims she was told that her application would be recommended for approval if she took down the previous owner's barn, removed a caravan, and closed up the A3 entrance.

"I did all this, but instead it was refused by delegated powers, even though the parish council had made no objection," she said. "I lost a lot of money on this, I trusted them."

Mrs Williams said the saga had been a huge financial drain.

"I can't tell you the amount of debt I have because of this," she said. "I have a licence for the pathway for 60 years, but it cost me £6,000 so I had to take out a mortgage."

Mrs Williams has put a lot of effort into making the site attractive over the years.

"We've planted more than 60 trees, tried to make it nice, so you can't say it's an eyesore," she said. "I love the place."

Mrs Williams said she can't understand why the council is so insistent.

"It's ridiculous. I pay £93 in rates just for them to do this," she said. "It's a little bit of land. I've spent six years trying to put it right and they just will not listen."

Mrs Williams wanted to thank everyone who had supported her.

"No matter what the outcome, I'm very grateful and would like to thank people for their support," she said.

Leslie Wells, district enforcement manager for EHDC, said that the council had no choice but to refuse the application for a certificate of lawfulness.

"Mrs Williams has applied for certificate of lawful use for activities that are covered by outstanding enforcement notices," she said. "The certificate is to make it immune from planning control, which you can't do"

Mrs Wells said that the enforcement action, first issued in November 2000, was still outstanding, but couldn't confirm what the council would do next.

She also refuted Mrs Williams' claims that she was offered approval for planning permission after her meeting with the council.

"The matter was investigated, but I can't go into detail, as it's a confidential file," she said.

Mrs Wells did offer some hope however.

"Mrs Williams is able to apply for retrospective permission for the stables that are already there if she wishes."