The Broad family, which runs Homeleigh Garden Centre, the family-owned garden centre, at Launceston, acquired the Crediton Garden Centre some months ago and have been running it successfully since taking over from Robert and Gail Constantine.
The family has now applied to remodel and modernise the existing garden centre following demolition of existing structures, to include erection of retail areas, cafe, and warehouse, formation of new vehicular access, provision of parking areas, and landscaping.
Rob Broad explained: “As a family we have successfully run Homeleigh at Launceston for 40 years and it was on a visit to the Crediton Garden Centre that we chatted with Robert and Gail, who explained the Garden Centre was for sale.
“We shook a deal to buy it and from there we relatively quickly sorted out the purchase.
“Since then we have been improving the garden centre range, worked on a plan that we thought would be ideal for the area and appointed Steve Adams as manager, as well as retaining all the existing staff.
“We are looking at increasing the range available at the garden centre and making it of a decent size which would attract people from Crediton and further afield, ideally from as far as Tiverton, Exeter and Taunton.
“We want to make it a destination garden centre, where there will be a range of products for sale and a cafe.
“We have been working with Devon Highways to sort out access and planners to see what is possible.
“It was from a customer survey of more than 500 people that 70 per cent said they would like to see a destination garden centre rather than just a plant centre.
“We hope that by expanding we will pull more people to shop in Crediton itself and while we recognise there will be some crossover of products, I think this will be minimal.
“Our plans ensure that new buildings are lower in height than the current polytunnels we have, but saying that, there will be more buildings.
“Currently we employ more than 100 people in Launceston and if approved, we hope that Crediton Garden Centre would employ up to 80 people.
“We will use local suppliers where possible for our plants and food and we want local people to come and work here.
“Crediton is a lovely town and with many new houses being built, Crediton Garden Centre would be a great place for people to come and work.”
The plan includes a new vehicle access onto the A377, parking for up to 214 cars, 10 motorcycles and five light goods vehicles, 3,335 square metres of internal floorspace and 1,086 square metres of restaurant space.
Opening times, if approved, would be 8am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
The existing manager’s accommodation would be retained.
HOW TO COMMENT ON THE PLAN
Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) is currently welcoming comments on the planning application and Mr Broad has already spoken at a meeting of Crediton Hamlets Parish Council about the plan.
Comments (also known as a representations) for current applications can be submitted online HERE which links directly to the application details. The Neighbour Consultation Expiry Date is Thursday, May 3, 2018 and the Determination Deadline is set to Thursday, July 12, 2018.
For the purposes of Data Protection, you’ll need to register and consent to the processing of your data. You’ll be asked to read the terms and conditions of use before registering.
You can also send in comments by email to: [email protected] or by post to: Development Management, Mid Devon District Council, Phoenix House, Tiverton EX16 6PP
The planning application reference should be included and this is: 17/02061/MFUL .
FOR AND AGAINST
A number of representations have already been made about the plan, and these can be viewed via the Mid Devon District Council website and by typing in the planning application reference.
Crediton shopkeeper Beka Platt of Boka, wrote: “I am a shop owner in Crediton High Street and feel this will affect pretty much every small business in the town and sadly to say, that will be many shops closing down.
“The town will certainly die and jobs will be lost, which will see this lovely town slowly disappear.
“As a council you should be supporting our small towns and this application should not go ahead at all.
“I strongly disagree with this application.”
Most Crediton businesses have been lobbied, anonymously, mostly with pre-paid and pre-written objection letters, by a so-called Stop Homeleigh Group.
The objections it lists include: a) The development is proposed in open countryside, which should be protected, b) The scale of the development is far too large versus the previous small scale nursery which was there before, and the previous approved small scale development, c) There will be a negative impact on Crediton town centre rate, especially when considering the scale and the application to sell general (class A1) goods. There is also no identifiable “need” for another garden centre or A1 general retailer in the area.
d) There would be a negative impact on rural jobs, e) There would be a negative effect on biodiversity assets including Eurasian badgers and protected orchard, f) There are major safety concerns - making walking more dangerous, cycling more dangerous, and a negative impact on road safety and accidents, g) It will increase traffic congestion and h) It will have an adverse effect on the privacy and amenity of the area and create nuisance and impact on health, increased pollution and a decline in air quality.
David Jaques, a director of Wortham Jaques accountants of Crediton High Street, told the “Courier” that his search at Companies House showed that Homeleigh was a family business with a healthy balance sheet but “is no mega-corp”.
He added: “Before it acquired Crediton Garden Centre, Launceston was its only outlet.
“I’ve now seen the ‘stop Homeleigh’ mail shot. It’s very well produced and even includes a stamped envelope addressed to MDDC for recipients to send in their objections. But I find it worrying that whoever went to the trouble and expense of producing it has chosen not to reveal their identity. Why? What are their real motives?
“Homeleigh’s main competitor will be Bernaville, which draws a lot of trade from Crediton as well as elsewhere. If Homeleigh keeps that trade in Crediton, and draws in trade from elsewhere, it could well benefit the town rather than the reverse. We should also consider the benefit of the jobs that will be created.
“Although the majority of business people (including me) opposed the Tesco Superstore, the general public were less opposed to it. Many saw it as a welcome facility. In the event it hasn’t harmed the High Street to the extent we feared. If the High Street can survive Tesco, surely it can handle Homeleigh.
“I hold no brief for Homeleigh – hadn’t heard of it until last week. But I do think that the natural approach should be to welcome new businesses to the town and try to involve them in the Crediton business community unless there are good reasons for doing otherwise. In this case I’m not convinced that there are.”
• What do you think of the expansion plans for Crediton Garden Centre?
Share your views with fellow “Crediton Courier” readers. Write a letter, suitable for publication, with your views, and please include your name, address and a daytime telephone number.
Write to: The Editorial Manager, “Crediton Courier”, 102 High Street, Crediton EX17 3LF. Alternatively, email your letter, with the required information, to: [email protected] .