A POPULAR butcher hopes this Christmas won't be his business's last as he fights a council bid to close it down.
Emory St Marcus, of London Road in Merstham, owns and runs St Marcus Fine Foods on the Holmethorpe Industrial Estate, in Redhill, where he has been for nearly a decade.
But in January this year, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council issued an enforcement notice against Mr St Marcus, ordering him to close down the retail side of his factory.
According to the council, the father-of-three, who first came to England from Czechoslovakia in 1969, breached a planning control by creating a retail premises outside the town centre.
Despite being given 12 months to close down after losing an appeal, Mr St Marcus is continuing to battle for his shop.
He was already spoken to local MP Crispin Blunt, who advised him to apply for a retail licence which the MP would support "in principle".
"They're still being pig-headed about it," he said about the council. "But I'm still fighting to stay.
"Even if I have to go to the PM I'll do that. We only use five per cent of the shop for selling products.
"We asked the council what the problem was and what they'd be happy with, but they don't want to hear us."
If the shop had been in existence for ten years – which it is just months away from achieving – the council would not be able to close it down in this manner.
Mr St Marcus said he will consider moving his entire business out of the borough if the retail unit is closed down.
A council spokesman said: "Mr St Marcus appealed the council's refusal of planning permission to the Planning Inspectorate, who upheld our decision, so the enforcement notice still stands.
"However, we have been in correspondence with Mr St Marcus' planning agent and understand that they will be in touch to seek pre-application advice, with a view to trying to address the issues.
"This may lead to a revised planning application for the premises."
