THE fight by the family of supermarket tycoon Sir Ken Morrison to put up a massive set of gates to guard their home is going to a planning inquiry.

Sir Ken's daughter, Andrea Shelley, and his son-in-law, Andrew, have appealed against Harrogate Borough Council's to reject the scheme to put 13ft-high electric gates at the entrance to their sumptuous priory estate in Nun Monkton, off the A59.

The application sparked controversy among villagers, who said it would spoil the "classic view" of St Mary's Church from the village green and send out a signal "that one bit of the village is rich and powerful and the rest isn't".

Coun David Barchard, chairman of Nun Monkton Parish Council, said it had no choice but to fight the plans.

"We really feel that Mr and Mrs Shelley are extremely valued members of the community, but these gates would be difficult to live with," he told the Evening Press.

"They are at odds with the traditional village scene which has existed for hundreds of years and would destroy the rural nature of the eastern edge of the village. Regretfully, we feel we must fight this plan. There is widespread opposition in the village."

Mr Shelley previously told the Evening Press that the gates were largely for security purposes, because thieves had stolen more than £10,000-worth of goods since they moved in eight years ago.

"The gates would be done extremely tastefully and sympathetically and be in no way of detriment to the village," he said.

"I wish people would have expressed their views to me first."

The plans include the reinstatement of four-metre high entrance gates and gate piers and a 2.6-metre high pedestrian gate.

The planning inquiry will take place at the council offices, Crescent Gardens, Harrogate, on July 26.

Updated: 10:33 Wednesday, June 15, 2005