Rob Scott, owner of Hare Hatch Sheeplands Garden Centre, London Road, Twyford, is looking at losses totalling tens of thousands of pounds.

His 70 employees face an uncertain future at the award-winning garden centre, because Wokingham Borough Council planning officers have ordered him to: - Dismantle everything he has constructed.

- Rip out or excavate all his hard surfaces and remove a caravan.

- Demolish a restaurant/cafe, gift and card shops.

Gone will be a children’s play area, car park, and new outbuildings.

A council spokeswoman said: “We will have to take legal action if he does not remove the parts without planning permission.” Mr Scott said: “The council decision is a huge blow to the business, our employees, our suppliers, the community of Twyford, and our customers.

“We believe we made a strong case in proving our retail activities over the last 10 years which would have entitled us to a certificate of lawful use.” Mr Scott added: “I must now sit down with my staff, who are a priority, to decide what happens next”.

Councillor Bob Pitts, who worked with other councillors to help him, said: “This whole process has been very costly and taken far longer than would have been expected, but we wanted to give Mr Scott every opportunity to prove his case.” Planning chiefs this week denied Mr Scott’s claims that they were trying to drive him out of business, stating that he must comply with an enforcement notice that expired this time last year.

They claim that his upgraded garden centre has an ‘unacceptable impact’ on the green belt.

They say it is ‘detrimental’ to the character of the rural location and that all illegal activies must cease.

A statement said: “The council has been working with Rob Scott to find a legal way forward.

“Regrettably we have had to refuse a certificate application for lawful use after exhausting all avenues to find a solution.” They accused him of continuing his unauthorised building activities while they were trying to find a compromise.

In effect, the planners are ruling that the garden centre –known as the ‘floral mile’ – must revert to its original state, with a new 20cm covering of soil once all buildings, furniture and debris have been cleared.

Marcia Head, head of planning, regulation and compliance, said: “We are not trying to run him out of business. We are asking him to comply with the enforcement notice. We have advised him what steps he must take.” Planning chiefs are particularly miffed because Mr Scott has, allegedly, been continuing his unauthorisd activites at the site since peace negotiations began in 2012.

Mr Scott has stated in recent months that the saga has been drawn out since 2008, and says he has done his utmost to comply with planning requests.

His website states that the garden centre is the ‘friendliest’ in the region, serving Reading, Windsor and Weybridge.

His garden centre planted the rose garden at Windsor Castle, giving his centre the ‘royal warrant’ accolade.

Mr Scott is only a few weeks away from launching a new online store designed to be ‘the best garden website in the UK’.