MORE than 2,000 people have signed a petition to save a much-loved visitor attraction after Surrey County Council put the site's rent up by 167 per cent.
Heritage Farm Nurseries in Wallington, was forced to close following the crippling rise, but its aquatic and reptiles shop remains open at the moment.
Owners Fiona and Jonathan Daniels, who have been forced to make 20 staff redundant, claimed Surrey County Council would not communicate with them.
Mrs Daniels, a mother of four, will lose her family home as well as the family business.
She said: "No one from the council could even be bothered to meet us face to face or answer my messages and queries."
A council spokesman said: "Mr Daniels' rent has not been increased since 2001, when his business was farming. Since then he has diversified into retail, made substantial changes to the property and grown a successful business.
"We have to ask a reasonable commercial rent, in line with the open market, as Surrey taxpayers cannot be expected to subsidise a successful private business. We have been discussing this issue with Mr Daniels for two years and proposed terms a year ago."