A SWAINBY garage owner claims he may have to sell up and move elsewhere because of a wrangle with planners.

Philip Allick says he has been told he can have no more than six cars displayed on the garage forecourt beside the A172 at Swainby.

North Yorkshire Moors National Park Authority has threatened enforcement action if he breaches the condition.

Now he has painted a slogan on the canopy attacking Swainby Parish Council and the park authority.

Mr Allick bought the garage five years ago. He sells petrol, but says it is the car sales that make it viable.

"At the time of purchase, there were no covenants or deeds limiting cars outside," he said. "But when I applied for permission to build a new showroom, planners stated no more than six vehicles could be outside."

He said three people worked at the garage and pointed out that hundreds of family-run rural garages had closed. He warned he could sell to a developer and is actively looking for other sites.

Mr Allick said he had attended numerous Swainby Parish Council and national park planning meetings.

He claimed to have spent £20,000 on solicitors and architects, applications and appeals.

Critics have claimed the cars spoil picturesque views of Swainby, alleging the garage resembled a scrap yard or accident scene.

Mr Allick denied such views. "I sell distinctive cars worth up to £40,000 each. There can be up to £300,000-worth of cars on show. It's not a scrap yard," he said.

Planners wanted it to remain small and in picturesque dereliction, he claimed. Ironically, it had always been a working garage, servicing farm vehicles and cars, and recovering crashed cars.

A planning meeting was underway at the park authority yesterday, and the D&S Times was unable to contact Swainby Coun John Morley.

One Swainby resident said: "A lot of people are upset. I've bought petrol there for 50 years. Bureaucracy's the problem.