A businessman has been left infuriated after a four year planning saga hit yet another barrier this week.

Tony Rocco ran the animal education centre and riding school in Capstone Farm Country Park for 16 years, but an application to see it reopened which was due to be heard this Wednesday has been deferred until late April at the earliest.

The 21-acre site closed in 2004 and in 2011 Mr Rocco went to reopen it on same planning specifications as before - which was approved.

But the wrong car parking specifications were attached so in 2013 it was re-submitted showing some extra parking bays. Decided on by a different planning officer it was refused because of an “intensification of the use of the educational facilities”.

The grandfather appealed the decision in May this year but after seven months of waiting for an inspector resubmitted the application after 11,000 people signed a petition to get the facility re-opened.

For the first time it was due to be heard before the planning committee rather than delegated powers, but Cllr Diane Chambersc head of the planning committee, deferred it.

Mr Rocco, 67, said: “Councillors are meant to be representative of the people and thousands of them don’t understand why this facility is not allowed to be used.

“We all wanted councillors to air this application and have the debate, rather than leaving decision up to individual officers. Even if they are over-ruled by the inspector, they have a democratic responsibilty to us.”

The application is yet again recommended for refused based on this “intensification” and limited parking provision - despite being the same application as the one approved in 2011, plus having the additional parking.

The inspector is visiting on March 10, which is the reason given for the deferral, but Mr Rocco added: “They had the application since December and put together the report. They knew about the inspector’s visit a couple of weeks ago, yet they pull it from the meeting just a few days before. Why?

"A lot of people were going to the meeting and show their support and I think they know they will be embarrassed. Especially with an election coming up.”

Cllr Chambers and planning committee vice chairman cllr David Carr were unavailable for comment.

“A decision could take until summer to be made. If I get permission by the time I have finished the work and got it ready the summer season will be over and business will be put back yet another year. I’m not earning any money.”

The site include has paddocks and orchards as well as stables, three barns for teaching, a pets corner, a vegetable garden and classrooms, but is missing the livestock and customers.