The mechanic at the centre of the longest planning battle in Croydon's history will finally be forced to give up the business he described as his "life" next week.

Richard Hough, owner of Autoclutch car repair workshop, is to be evicted from his South Norwood premises on Wednesday, October 7, after fighting a property developer for more than 13 years.

Greathall Limited, which bought the Station Road land from Railtrack for £112,000 in 2001, is to bulldoze the building to construct 11 flats and two shops.

JUNE 2014: South Norwood garage can be can be bulldozed by developers, court rules

Mr Hough, 53, of Shirley, has dedicated his life to Autoclutch after being taken on as 11-year-old helper by its previous owner.

He said: "They have taken away my living, they have taken away my life. It is the most important thing to the world to me, ever. I love what I do.

"My dad died when I was two. I bumped into John Lucas, who was here running things, one day and he took me under his wing. I was cleaning cars, doing little odd jobs."

He added: "I think it's obscene that I was never given the opportunity to purchase the land myself.

"Why was there no relocation clause or compensation clause put in there for a business that had been here for 40 years?

"It has been 13-and-a-half years of my life and I walk away from here with nothing."

Greathall first unveiled proposals for a housing development in 2003 but failed to secure planning permission until 2011.

Mr Hough then took the fight to Croydon County Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which eventually ruled in the developer's favour this year.

James Groux, Greathall director, has claimed the mechanic was trying to "cause maximum disruption" and suggested he had enlisted "rent a crowd" to object to the proposed development.

He declined to comment this week, but said last year: "Nobody wants to see somebody lose something that they have but I'm sure there are plenty of other premises in the area and Mr Hough will do fine."

But Mr Hough said he had failed to find an alternative site for the business he has run since 1991 and accused the developer of having "not an ounce of compassion".

He added he was "disgusted" with the council for reducing the length of a consultation period on the plans on the request of Greathall and for allowing the developer to demolish the building's around his garage without planning permission.