Storrington nursery owner ’pleased and relieved’ after planning permission is granted

Philip Godsmark feared he would have to close Ryecroft Nursery, in Storrington, after officers at Horsham District Council advised the planning committee to refuse his application

But he said he was ‘pleased and relieved’ when the committee gave permission for the three-bedroom, chalet-style home at a meeting this week, having deferred the application in January.

Mr Godsmark, who is the last breeder of dahlias in Britain, added: “It came right in the end. I’m very pleased and relieved and I’m very grateful to the people who’ve supported me.

“We’ve had an awful lot of people on side and not a single objection.”

Over the years, thieves have taken equipment, plants and turkeys from the nursery – and Mr Godsmark often checked on the site at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning because he was “paranoid that these scum-bags are going to break in again”.

Now, his mind has been put at ease and he hopes to sell his current home by Christmas and start building his new home in the spring.

He and his partner, Mary-Ann have been an essential part of village life since the coronovirus lockdown, selling vegetables from the farm shop, along with eggs from their 450 chickens.

They hope to expand the shop and buy more turkeys – but in the meantime, there is the matter of planting 8,000 bulbs to deal with.

With 1,200 already in the ground, there’s a lot of work still to do, and Mr Godsmark said: “Every year this field seems to get bigger.”

A report from planning officers told members there was not enough evidence to show the house was required or financially viable.

Leader Ray Dawe did not agree, calling the findings ‘rather ridiculous’.

He added: “This is obviously a viable business – it’s been going for ten years. When I went up there it was an absolute hive of activity.

“It may be a little flippant to say they’re a world leader in dahlias – and that may be something some one could find some fun in – but it is something we should be proud of as a community and we should build on that.”