AN INDEPENDENT planning inspector visited Wokingham Borough Council last week to launch a hearing into Hare Hatch Sheeplands.
The farm shop and nursery is appealing a decision by the council to turn down a temporary garden products sales area.
And to support the centre, three loyal customers shared their views with the inspector, Ian Radcliffe, as to why he should allow the decision to be made in Sheeplands’ favour.
In a statement, Sheeplands said that Patrick Heather told Mr Radcliffe that the centre was “a valuable and welcome member of the local community and should be supported”.
Award-winning gardener Frank Moore said that Sheeplands should be allowed to sell “all the things that a gardener needs”.
And Mark A’Bear spoke of “the valuable role the nursery plays in offering training and employment to young people within the Wokingham area”.
And Sheeplands said that all three stressed the huge support the nursery had received from the local community with “thousands of people” signing petitions in their favour and submitting those to the council.
Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for planning and enforcement for Wokingham Borough Council, said: “We turned down the application for the proposed retail site and subsequently objected at appeal owing to the harm we believe it could cause due to its location on the Green Belt.
“We’re now awaiting the outcome of this latest hearing which will be determined by an independent Planning Inspector in due course.”
After the hearing the inspector made a site visit to the nursery. His decision will be made at a later date.
