A DISPUTE between Apple Jacks Adventure Park and a neighbouring farm over an electrical connection is rumbling on.

Apple Jacks, which is based on Stretton Road, paid Scottish Power £5,300 to restore the electricity last year.

However, as the connection point falls around two metres into land owned by Moss Hall Farm the energy supplier has been unable to carry out work as the owner is refusing to give permission to access it.

Joe Fryer has owned the neighbouring land, on which Apple Jacks is based, since 1991 and opened the adventure park in 2003.

He has been forced to use diesel to run the generators at the site as a result of the dispute and confirmed they are costing the company a 'substantial amount'.

Scottish Power has suggested completing the work via a longer route but this would cost 'significantly more' than the £5,300 sum.

A spokesman added: "This is a third party dispute and we will work with the parties to reach an amicable solution."

Apple Jacks remains frustrated at the situation and has called on the neighbour to finally give the permission to access the land to ensure the connection can be restored.

And a spokesman claimed he is 'preventing' the company from 'moving forward'.

He said: "We just want Scottish Power to restore the electricity connection to get this situation resolved, it has been going on for too long now.

"It will help the business run more efficiently if the electricity is restored but it will also be better for the environment as we won't have to use the diesel generators and so it will make it better for children.

"All we want is for people to enjoy what we put on here. Scottish Power should provide us with the electricity but they won't go onto the neighbouring land as it is not our land, but it only goes two metres into that piece of land.

"They have provided us with an expensive alternative, which would cost far too much. We need Scottish Power to take action.

"We got an independent contractor to fill the forms for the work in but Scottish Power will be doing the work.

"We have offered the neighbour money to pay for going onto his land and even offered to help improve his privacy but we are not getting anywhere.

"We have tried every avenue to get this sorted so we can continue doing what we do by inviting families to the farm to have a great time.

"Scottish Power can ask the secretary of state to grant way leave. If that happened the secretary of state could listen to both sides to help get this matter resolved.

"The most important thing for us is to make it a welcoming venue for the people."

However, Moss Hall Farm believes further electricity could result in more noise and lights at the site.

"It is about quality of life – trying to run a farm alongside that is exceedingly difficult," said a spokesman.