Defunct Chatteris garden centre finds a buyer

Oak Garden Centre in Chatteris which closed almost two years ago has a new owner. Read more - members only

How will Osborne’s proposals for automatic planning permission affect garden centres?

Will Osborne’s planning proposals generate extra sales for garden centres? Or will owners be selling up for housing? Gardenforum asks the experts Malcolm Scott and Paul Pleydell. Read more - members only

Two Windsor garden centres could be zoned for housing

Two garden centres in the Royal Borough of Windsor will be zoned for housing if the local plan covering the next 15 years is accepted. Read more - members only

Planners block plans for a new Notcutts in Maidstone

Plans for a new out-of-town shopping centre at Newnham Court in Maidstone that would have included a new garden centre for Notcutts have been rejected. But other plans go ahead. See more… Read more - members only

Another rebuff for Yarnton Nurseries

Yarnton Nurseries has had plans to build 14 houses on surplus land turned down due to Green Belt restrictions. See more... Read more - members only

Planners to consider two new garden retail outlets

Planners in Pendle, Lancashire and in South Norfolk each have proposals that would allow the building of large new garden retail outlets. See more… Read more - members only

Gloucestershire’s Highfield Garden World on track for spring launch

Highfield Garden World, Gloucestershire’s leading independent garden centre, has revealed the business is on track to complete its new restaurant and retail development by the end of February. See more... Read more - members only

After the heat, the floods

Three garden centres in the Midlands suffered flooding in the storms that marked the breakdown of the heatwave. See more... Read more - members only

Highgate garden centre to close

Highgate Garden Centre, one of five within the Capital Gardens group, is to close in the next couple of weeks following its sale last year. See more… Read more - members only

Next wins permission for fourth Home & Garden store

Next has been granted permission to build its fourth Home & Garden store at High Wycombe. Another four are progressing through the planning process. See more... Read more - members only

Supermarket plans for garden centre rejected

Plans to build a Sainsbury’s supermarket on Malmesbury Garden Centre have been rejected. See more... Read more - members only

Demand for garden centres at record levels

Garden centre agent, Mike Gilbert of Gilbert Evans has sold four garden centres this year with two more deals likely in the next six weeks. Demand he says is as strong as it has ever been, despite the weather. See more... Read more - members only

British Garden Centres group purchases Woodthorpe Leisure Park

British Garden Centres group has announced the purchase of a new branch to their tree - Woodthorpe Leisure Park. See more... Read more - members only

Suttons Seeds heralds in 2013 with a new trial ground

A new trial ground will provide Suttons Seeds with more space for new variety and growing technique trialling as well as opportunities for putting on events for the public and the press. See more... Read more - members only

Trebaron GC in Preston is sold

Trebaron Garden Centre in Preston has been sold to Duxbury Holdings. The site was owned separately from the other Trebaron garden centres. See more… Read more - members only

Next step for Blue Diamond’s long planned Leeds garden centre

Blue Diamond’s long held plan to replicate the octagonal Le Friquet garden centre at Leeds has taken a step forward. Read more - members only

Permission granted for new garden centre near Coventry

Malcolm Scott wins permission for a new garden centre just outside Coventry.  It will, they believe, be the first new build garden centre on a new site in the last 10 years. Read more - members only

Review of 2014 in the Garden Industry

2014 has been dominated by the repositioning of the major gardening goods distributors following the demise of Solus.  The weather for once provided a good news story and towards the end of the year there was a flurry of activity from Wyevale as it picked up eight long established independent garden centres.  See the full review – which is open to all… Read more - open to all

Industry experts at opening of Highfield’s massive extension

Last week saw the official opening of the £2.5m extension at Highfield Garden World that has doubled sales and makes it one of the largest garden centres in the country. See more... Read more - members only

Work to start on Probus garden centre in March

Work looks set to start on the first phase of a destination garden centre, restaurant and display gardens at Probus near Truro in Cornwall this spring. See more... Read more - members only

Varying fortunes for Garden centres seeking to build houses

Fortunes differ at three garden centres in environmentally sensitive locations. Yarnton, Highgate and Barlaston are all looking for permission to build houses on all or part of their sites. See more... Read more - members only

Retailers keep trading despite floods

There was a lot of clearing up after yesterday’s storm, which brought a range of hazards: wind, floods and lack of power. But damage seems relatively light. See more... Read more - members only

October opening for Tesco/Dobbies Kings Lynn complex

Construction work on the new Tesco/Dobbies complex in Kings Lynn is progressing so well, trading will begin much earlier than planned. See more... Read more - members only

Mixed planning fortunes for garden centres

Garden centres experience mixed fortunes when it comes to planning. There’s disappointment for Keydell Nurseries, hope for Garsons and concern over Highgate. See more… Read more - members only

Summerseat Garden Centre acquires second centre

Summerseat Garden Centre Ltd has acquired Stephen H. Smith’s Garden & Leisure Bolton branch located at Radcliffe Moor Road, Bradley Fold. See more... Read more - members only

Inexperienced valuers create problems

Quinton Edwards warns that valuers with little garden centre experience are causing problems for garden centres and horticultural businesses seeking bank funding. See more... Read more - members only

Sheeplands fears closure if appeal fails

Rob Scott, owner of Hare Hatch Sheeplands fears that his dispute with Wokingham Borough Council could close the business. See more... Read more - members only

Plans revealed for new Tewkesbury garden centre

Plans will be put on show on Thursday for a £30m retail development near Tewkesbury that will include a garden centre. See more... Read more - members only

Notcutts to share Bagshot garden centre with Waitrose

Notcutts hopes to build a Waitrose store on its garden centre site at Bagshot on the A30 in Surrey and to build a new garden centre alongside it. See more... Read more - members only

Gardenforum’s Review of 2012

Here’s a summary of the news that has filled the Gardenforum pages in 2012. It is dominated by the impact of the weather and perhaps the economy. The story is open to all our readers. See more... Read more - open to all

To see earlier stories - Look in the News Archive