THE new owner of the New Forest Owl Sanctuary is organising a petition to back his appeal against refusal of planning permission for his new bird and reptile centre.

Giles Talbot, who took over the sanctuary at Crow Lane, Ringwood last year, has rebranded it Liberty's Raptor and Reptile Centre.

However, he has failed to get planning permission from New Forest District Council to run it as a tourist attraction.

A local planning inquiry appealing against enforcement action by district council planners was heard on July 14.

Now Mr Talbot is appealing against the council's refusal of planning permission at the development control committee meeting the same day.

Mr Talbot is asking for the backing of Ringwood people in his quest to reopen the centre.

"We were out in Ringwood and we got 200 signatures in an hour.

By now I would think that we'd have more than 2,000," he said.

"I was shocked by how many people in Ringwood want it.

"I don't want this to be a theme park. I want to concentrate on the conservation and education part.

"We have 70 car parking spaces. That's all we've got. And the tourism season is only 14 weeks of the year."

He says the centre will have the potential for teaching 9,000 schoolchildren a year about birds and reptiles.

Giles and his partner Lynda have more than 160 birds of prey and a range of reptiles including one 15ft Burmese python.

He is currently working hard improving the buildings, spending large sums on new pine cladding, fencing and aviaries.