A 100-year-old garden centre in Ilford has been handed a fine for displaying flowers outside the shop - despite the owner insisting it has never been an issue before.
Mark Sherwood started working at Webb's Garden Centre in Green Lane 28 years ago and took over the business in 2012.
On May 9, Mark received a letter from Redbridge Council informing him that he was breaking the law by obstructing the pavement with the display trollies holding flowers outside the shop.
He was told he had to obtain a licence and was handed a £150 fine that was reduced to £50 as he paid before May 23.
But Mark was left questioning why he has been punished now.
“For all the years I’ve worked here and even before I’ve worked here, we’ve always had trollies outside the shop – I’ve had people come up to me saying they remember the displays from when they were kids and they’re now in their 80s," he said.
“I told him that a few years before this, the council came and re-laid the pavement and took away that little bit of forecourt that my trollies used to sit on.
“He rescinded my fine and said I could keep putting my trollies out there and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since."
Mark said that this time an enforcement officer had come down and insisted the fine was paid leaving him "wondering what the difference is between now and eight years ago".
On Redbridge Council's website, an obstruction is defined as "preventing someone from having reasonable use of the highway".
Mark posed the question: "Why is it only an obstruction if I don’t pay for a licence but as soon as I do pay for a license it is no longer an obstruction?"
When the council re-laid the pavement, they left a small section of the original forecourt which used to run across the front of Webb's Garden Centre and hold the display trollies.
Mark said: "We were always told that it was our right to put our trollies on that small section of paving.
"And why was it fine eight years ago and now not?"
A spokesperson for Redbridge Council said: “We received a complaint about items at this location being placed on the public highway, and the garden centre was one of the businesses we spoke to regarding products displayed illegally on the pavement.
“The council is always keen to work with businesses and residents proactively, and in efforts to positively engage with the business, we advised the garden centre owner that he would need to obtain a licence to display goods outside his store.
“The requirements for the licence to display goods are there to uphold public safety, ensure that there are no obstructions to pedestrians using the street and to maintain street cleanliness.
"We also once again advised the business to apply for the legally required licence.”
Mark claimed the council said they would send down an enforcement officer a few weeks ago to assess the situation and let him know how much a licence would cost, butnobody has visited yet.
He said: “If none of our displays are allowed outside, people will think the place is shut and we will lose customers – this is our busy time and we need to make money for the winter.
“If we can’t afford to pay what they want for a licence then we might as well shut because we’ll lose too much business.
"Then as far as I’m concerned Redbridge Council will have caused a 100-plus year-old garden centre to close and stop serving the community."
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