HUNDREDS of shoppers are backing a long-established Ilkley greengrocer amid fears it could be forced out of business due to Bradford Council bureaucracy.

RK Asquith & Son, which has been in business in Grove Promenade for 30 years, received a letter telling it to remove the trays of flowers and bedding plants it regularly displays on a paved area outside the shop, or risk having them confiscated.

Owners say they have never received any complaints from passers-by about the plants, and supporters of the business claim it is an attractive feature in the town, at a time when Bradford Council is cutting back on gardening services, leaving public flowerbeds far from blooming.

Asquith's say the loss of the plants side of its business could axe an important part of its trade, potentially rendering the business unviable.

And more than 300 people have already signed a petition campaigning against the controversial cultivation crackdown since it was launched on Saturday.

Andrew Asquith, who runs the shop with his mother, Judy, said: "We've been doing this for more than 30 years.

"All the local councillors are supporting us and all the customers have been supportive. In fact, the amount of support has been overwhelming."

A discussion yesterday between Ilkley ward councillor Anne Hawkesworth and the new Bradford Council executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, could offer a glimmer of hope to end the floral friction.

There is a suggestion the local authority could withdraw its enforcement action and instead pass the matter on to its car parks division to resolve more amicably. The initial enforcement letter suggested the plants were actually taking up space in the nearby central car park.

But the shop has not been informed the threatened action has been withdrawn.

An officer was also due to visit the shop yesterday to talk to the owners and see the plants for himself.

The enforcement came just months after Bradford Council's ban on A-boards on the streets of Ilkley came into force. And another Ilkley business – Leeds Road cafe, Toast – revealed via social media this week that it had been told to remove a bench from outside its premises.

Cllr Hawkesworth has been in talks with senior Bradford Council members about these issues.

She said: "If Asquith's cannot continue with the plants then council policy needs to change. All sizes do not fit all, or horses for courses springs to mind."

Bradford Council had not provided any comment at the time of going to print.

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