New plans will double the size of Forest Lodge

Forest Lodge Garden Centre has re-submitted a planning application that will double the size of the garden centre and integrate it with the adjacent Bird World. See more... Read more - members only

Ram raiders hit Bracknell garden centre

Ram raiders smashed into Moss End Garden Centre yesterday morning, making off with £4500 worth of garden machinery. See more... Read more - members only

Kitching returns with Beckworth Emporium

Former Blooms of Bressingham chief executive, Jon Kitching, is to launch the Beckworth Emporium with his new partner, David Brown. It will be neither a garden centre nor a farm shop, but the best of both. See more... Read more - members only

West Hagley makes it two for Webbs

Webbs Garden Centres has taken control of West Hagley, one of the Hurrans Garden Centres that are in administration. See more... Read more - members only

All-In-One acquires land to expand

All-In-One has acquired land that almost doubles the size of the garden centre. Finance director, Jason Stafford, has engaged Ernest Wertheim to advise on extending the garden centre. See more... Read more - members only

Four more conservatory concessions for Leekes

Leekes, the Welsh home and garden retailer, is to open four conservatory concessions on garden centres in the southwest. Three will be on Wyevale garden centres. See more... Read more - members only

Brookside makes it 24 for Klondyke

Klondyke has today completed the acquisition of Brookside Garden Centre in Poynton, Cheshire, which had been in administration. See more... Read more - members only

Frustration for Wyevale as Sanders’ planning is postponed

A decision on Wyevale's controversial plans to add 35,000 ft.² to Sanders Garden World has been delayed until next year. See more... Read more - members only

Green Belt success for Malcolm Scott

Malcolm Scott Consultants have announced two planning successes in the Green Belt. They cover a nursery in Warwickshire and a garden centre in Cambridge. See more… Read more - members only

Councils frustrate garden centre plans

The expansion plans of two West Country garden centres have been frustrated by the planners last night. Both Saunders Garden World and Whitehall Garden Centres will have to wait longer for a decision on their planning applications. See more... Read more - members only

Bridgemere Garden World is to be flattened

Owners Wyevale Garden Centres will unveil the proposals at Bridgemere on Friday. The multi-million pound project will see much of the 132-acre garden centre on the A51 knocked down and replaced in an 18-month project. See more... Read more - members only

Wyevale seeks to rebuild York Garden Centre

Wyevale has submitted a planning application to redevelop York garden centre. It claims the new development will create 87 new jobs. See more... Read more - members only

Dobbies to build greenest garden centre

Dobbies has acquired a new garden centre site belonging to its Aberdeen rival, James Cocker & Sons. It plans to build its greenest garden centre yet. See more... Read more - members only

GPI unveils £50m Garden Centre Fund

Garden Park Investments have established a £50 million fund to provide a source of capital to finance garden centres who wish to expand or for owners who wish to realise some of the value tied up in their property. See more... Read more - members only

Fire guts Wyevale garden centre

Wyevale garden centre at Caddington was completely destroyed by fire yesterday morning. No one was hurt. See more... Read more - members only

Peterborough Garden Park to be Britain's premier garden centre

Garden Park Investment's retail development at Peterborough is intent on being Britain's premier garden centre when it opens next spring with Van Hage as the anchor tenant. Already 80% of the space has been let. See more... Read more - members only

Patience pays off for Whitehall Garden Centre

Whitehall Garden Centre has won planning permission, after many postponements, to double the size of its garden centre at Lacock in Wiltshire. See more... Read more - members only

Sinclair to continue negotiations over Bolton Fell

William Sinclair has expressed disappointment at the level of compensation proposed by Natural England for Bolton Fell, which is due to become a Special Area of Conservation. See more... Read more - members only

Hurrans unlikely to continue as a group

It is likely that the future of Hurrans Garden Centres will be decided by the end of March. However, it is unlikely that they will remain trading as a group. See more... Read more - members only

Woodthorpe makes it four with Spring Garden Centre

Woodthorpe Garden Centres Ltd has today completed the purchase of Spring Garden Centre, which lies a few miles north of Hull. See more... Read more - members only

2008 Review

Gardenforum reported on 18 garden centres changing hands last year. There was also the demise of wholesaler Spread, and a difficult year for Sir Tom Hunter’s investments in Dobbies, Flying Brands and Wyevale. For a review of 2008 and what to watch in 2009, see 'more'... (This article open to non-subscribers to see what you missed!) Read more - open to all

Country Homes and Gardens sells Stroud GC

Country Homes and Gardens has sold Stroud Garden Centre. The centre will close at the end of January. See more... Read more - members only

Planning shock for award-winning garden centre

Two weeks after topping the Garden Retail evening with three awards, Sidmouth Garden Centre has been hit with an enforcement order to close its popular farm shop, despite receiving approval from planning officers. See more... Read more - members only

York set back for Dobbies

It looks as if Dobbies is facing rejection from the planners at York City Council next Thursday, when they consider the group’s plans for a new garden centre. See more... Read more - members only

Dobbies to double size of head office

Dobbies has applied for permission to double the size of its head office at Lasswade. The new facility would provide space for 300 staff. See more... Read more - members only

Work starts on new GPI / Van Hage garden centre

The ceremonial turf was cut yesterday to mark the start of a major garden centre development near Peterborough. The developer is Garden Park Investments; Van Hage will be the anchor tenant. See more... Read more - members only

Hayes to Develop new ‘World of Plants’

Malcolm Scott Consultants have designed and gained planning permission for a new ‘World of Plants’ at Hayes’ well known Garden Centre in Ambleside in the Lake District National Park. To see an image, click on the 'website' button below. Read more - open to all

Worsley Hall Garden Centre to close

It has been reported that Worsley Hall Garden Centre will close having been sold to the property developer, Peel Holdings. See more... Read more - members only

Hilliers to redevelop Eastbourne site

Hillier Garden Centres are in the process of drawing up the tender documents for the redevelopment of their Eastbourne branch at Stone Cross, Sussex, following planning approval last month. See more… Read more - members only

Redevelopment plans on schedule at Frosts

Development plans to refurbish and extend much of the retail space at Frosts Garden Centre, Woburn Sands are on schedule. Phase 2 will be completed and open to customers by the end of November 2008. See more... Read more - members only

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