THE owner of a Dunster timber firm fears he could be forced out of business if planners follow the advice of highways chiefs and refuse to allow him to continue trading from his current site.

For the last 12 years, Barry Fowler has run Fowler Farm Supplies and Timber Products from the Crown Estate-owned dairy at Home Farm off the A39 at Dunster.

Although he operated without planning permission for two years when he first started the business in 1999, in 2001 he was given temporary planning permission for the venture by Exmoor National Park Authority.

It was the first of two temporary five-year permissions for the change of use of buildings at the site to allow him to continue making timber animal housing and other wooden products despite strong objections from the highways authority.

According to the park authority, the first permission in 2001 was given on the understanding Mr Fowler was coming up to retirement, but when that did not happen, he was given a further temporary approval in 2005.

At the time, highways chiefs maintained their opposition to the application on safety grounds, but accepted Mr Fowler was nearing retirement.

They called for the temporary permission to be made personal to Mr Fowler and asked for a number of conditions to be attached to the temporary approval.

One condition prevented any roadside signs or advertising, while another stipulated that the use of the site must cease and the buildings restored to their former condition before October 1 2011.

Now Mr Fowler has applied to the authority for the latter condition to be lifted to allow the permanent operation of a timber business at Home Farm.

In a detailed statement accompanying the application, his agent, Acorn Property Consultants, argued that the business created jobs and supported local timber industries.

The consultants said: "In terms of employment, the business provides employment for two full-time workers [the applicant and an employed labourer] and two part-time workers at normal times and additional casual workers when required.

"This equates to three full-time equivalents. The business also engages the services of sub-contractors when required.

"The approval of the application is vital in order to maintain employment levels. If the use discontinues, then the business will cease to operate and jobs will be lost."

The consultants said Fowler Farm Supplies and Timber Products sourced around 75 per cent of its wood from local Exmoor forests and helped local growers by adding value to their products.

"Overall, the retention of the use will prevent the loss of jobs, contribute positively to the processing of locally grown timber, thereby, having a sustained positive impact on the strength and viability of the local economy and environment by supporting the use of sustainably managed local timber within the national park," the consultants said.

But highways chiefs remained adamant that the firm should not be allowed to continue trading from its current premises.

In a letter to the park authority, highways bosses said there had been ten "personal injury accidents" within half a kilometre of the farm access, several of which were "overtaking related accidents".

Although the highways authority was unable to say whether any were directly linked to the timber business, bosses said they strongly believed everything possible should be done to reduce traffic movements in the area.

Mr Fowler's agents had estimated the firm generated a maximum of eight traffic movements a day, while one employee caught the bus to and from work.

The agent also maintained that the use of The Dairy for the timber business created far less traffic than other uses which did not need planning permission, such as a farm shop, would.

But highways chiefs described the access to Home Farm as a "high risk location" and their previously stressed concerns still stood.

"This length of the A39 is relatively straight and traffic is free flowing with no speed restriction other that the national speed limits.

"It is a length of the A39 where overtaking is possible and can frequently be observed.

"When this occurs, closing speeds between approaching vehicles can be considerable.

"This is a location with a serious collisions record and, therefore, one where action to ameliorate by reducing traffic turning movements is recommended rather than conforming continued movements in this high risk location," the authority's letter said.

Members of the national park authority's planning committee are due to meet on January 10 to discuss Mr Fowler's application, but will be advised not to lift the condition by planning officers.

In a report to the committee, planning officers said: "It is appreciated that this business is very small scale and produces high quality handmade local products and that this type of employment use is normally encouraged by the authority.

"However, in view of the highway safety objections, which are reinforced by the accident statistics, it is judged that the application should be recommended for refusal.

"If the committee is minded to refuse the application on highway safety grounds, it is open to the committee to acknowledge the value of this small business and ask officers to work with the applicant and the National Trust to seek to find an alternative site available for relocation."