Work has completed on a new retail extension at a Surrey Garden Centre, allowing the business to provide a wider seasonal shopping experience and a brand-new outdoor living department.
Knights Garden Centre in Warlingham instructed garden centre business planning specialists Malcolm Scott Consultants to prepare and submit detailed plans to Tandridge District Council for a 493m² extension at the Limpsfield Road site, which lies within the Green Belt.
The family-run garden centre wanted to use the additional space in order to facilitate an extensive seasonal retail area, along with expanding their existing food hall, to enhance its customer experience.
Further to the local authority giving the plans the green light, garden centre construction specialists Hodges were awarded the contract to oversee the extension, work on which completed last month and is being well received by customers.
Chris Primett, Director at Malcolm Scott, said: “This work was integral to the business plan to expand and respond to customers’ needs. We had already secured permission for a 318m² warehouse for the business and an additional 60 car parking space to support the proposed development.
“The application proposal was designed in accordance with the polices of both the adopted local plan and The National Planning Policy Framework, making use of outdoor retail space to ensure there were no unacceptable impacts in terms of retail impact, highways or biodiversity.
“We are delighted that the plans were approved, demonstrating that development within the green belt is achievable, provided that it meets the strict requirements laid down and is based on a good business case,” he added.
David Knight, of Knights Garden Centre, added: “This development is an essential part of our future plans and helps us to give our customers the range and availability that they require. We were confident that the Malcolm Scott team’s understanding of local authority policy and their track record of achieving permission to develop within the Green Belt would allow us to progress with our goals while supporting the council’s local strategy.
“Watching these plans come to fruition and seeing our new food hall and retail experience taking shape has been so rewarding. We are thrilled with the end result, and I know our customers will really appreciate the investment and thought that has brought it about.”
