Waverley Borough Council V The Antiques Warehouse - Blog

Waverley
Borough
Council

Waverley Borough Council
The Burys
Godalming
Surrey GU7 1HR
e: Waverley Borough Council

VERSUS

The
Antiques
Warehouse

Badshot Farm
St. George's Road
Runfold
Farnham
Surrey GU9 9HR
Tel: +44 (0)1252 317590
e: Hilary Burroughs

"The most beautiful of centres"

25 September 2008 » Planning Update [3]

The Planning Committee Meeting has been postponed to 22 October 2008!!! Please continue to write and email letters of support to help our cause, quoting application number WA/2008/1224

Thank you very much for your support.

posted by hilary burroughs, the antiques warehouse 25 September 2008 15:12

19 August 2008 » Planning Update [2]

Because of the complexity of this planning case, the date for the Planning Committee Meeting has been postponed to 24 September 2008, so please continue to write and email letters of support to help our cause.
Please quote application number WA/2008/1224

Thank you very much for your support.

posted by hilary burroughs, the antiques warehouse 19 August 2008 14:12

19 August 2008 » Farnham Herald Article

Farnham Herald Article 25 July 08

posted by hilary burroughs, the antiques warehouse 19 August 2008 14:01

10 July 2008 » Planning Update

After 13 years of peaceful operation, we are required yet again to apply for planning permission to continue our business.

Letters of support received before 8:08:2008 would be really helpful to our cause.
Please quote application number WA/2008/1224

Please write to:

Thank you very much for your support.

posted by hilary burroughs, the antiques warehouse 10 July 2008 15:30

28 April 2008 » Planning Update

The enforcement division of the planning department at Waverley Borough Council, in their wisdom, are about to recommend serving an enforcement notice on The Antiques Warehouse at the next WBC planning meeting next Wednesday 7 May 2008. It is hoped that as before, the elected members will decide to overrule the recommendation, and let common sense prevail.

If you feel a sense of outrage, and wish to support our efforts to remain in business, please convey your feelings to our email address, as well as the Waverley Borough Council and Farnham Herald addresses below.

Thank you very much for your support.

posted by hilary burroughs, the antiques warehouse 28 April 2008 20:30

23 January 2008 » Good News For The Antiques Warehouse

After long and protracted negotiations, Waverley Borough Council planning department have re-considered their position and withdrawn their enforcement order against The Antiques Warehouse. This means that we will not have to close down in March '08 and our future is considerably more secure, at least for the foreseeable future.

We would like to extend A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who have supported us by signing our petition (about 5300 people) and writing eloquent letters to Waverley, local councillors and to the Farnham Herald. We feel sure that all your efforts went some considerable way towards swaying the decision of W.B.C.

So Keep On Coming To Visit Us!

posted by hilary burroughs, the antiques warehouse 01 feb 2008 14:40

21 September 2007 » Please Help The Antiques Warehouse

Waverley Borough Council planning department have issued an enforcement order against us. This means that they want to close us down by the end of February 2008. The reasons are:

1. Our presence "compromises the character of the area and the amenity of the neighbours". They have not been able to satisfactorily explain how we do this.
2. Our presence is spoiling the strategic gap (between Aldershot and Farnham). Apparently all the other bigger, more obtrusive businesses are not.
3. They would like to see us located somewhere that is more accessible by non-car modes of transport! Presumably this is so that you can take your wardrobe home strapped to your backs, or alternatively get it on the bus.

If you would like to help keep our lovely business here - which has been operating quietly for twelve years without one complaint - please help us by writing to:

THANK YOU

posted by hilary burroughs, the antiques warehouse 21 sept 2007 20:36

14 September 2007 » Comments On Farnham Herald Article And Rebuttal Of Inaccuracies

The Farnham Herald have written an excellent front page article entitled Businesswoman fights to save her livelihood - read the article now. Here are my comments on the article and rebuttal of the inaccuracies.

John Anderson, Waverley Borough Council's development and control manager makes it sound as if we have been operating illegally since my personal planning permission ran out in 2002 when he said: "The current position is that Mrs Burroughs was granted a temporary permission to continue using the building as a shop until November 30, 2002. Ever since then, she has been operating without planning permission. It isn't a location where we would normally grant a shop use. Mrs Burroughs has already lost one appeal (in 1998) against Waverley enforcement action, but following that councillors agreed to grant a temporary four-year permission." Since then, my landlord has made several efforts to gain planning permission in his own name, during which time I have been perfectly entitled to carry on trading. I might add also that during those years of operation, we were able to prove that our business harms no one, it was assumed by local councillors that it would be a mere formality for us to be allowed to continue.

John Anderson states that we lost an appeal in 1998. We didn't, our landlord did (and it was 1997), and the reason he lost was because the government inspector believed the contents of the six page, illustrated letter of complaint from one neighbour. The said letter (which was written 10 years ago) contains a whole raft of false allegations about the Antiques Warehouse which we have successfully been able to refute in the intervening 10 years. Many of the false allegations were based on media hype and speculation, and we were not in a position to refute the said allegations. We are now. There is not one shred of evidence to support the allegations in the letter.

Our case is being debated (or going to committee) on 31 October 2007 (not November as reported) it will be held "in exempt" or "in camera", i.e. in secret!

And I wonder how many of the local officers and councillors have actually visited the Antiques Warehouse? We have been variously described by our visitors as a cross between an art gallery, a museum, a cultural focus, an educational resource, an experience... I could go on.

More information from Farnham Herald archives: Antiques seller pleads to be allowed to stay - Farnham Herald Today 04 August 06

posted by hilary burroughs, the antiques warehouse 14 sept 2007 19:54

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