Staff and management at a Bradford garden centre are celebrating after securing planning permission for the next stage of their ambitious growth plans.
Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee unanimously voted to approve Tong Garden Centre’s £4 million plans that include a new two storey building, a new plant canopy, a bespoke soft play and event space and the development of the lakeside area with log cabins for educational and horticultural use.
Tong managing director Mark Farnsworth said: “We are delighted to have been granted permission to continue with the work that we started three years ago to turn Tong into one of the top destination garden centres in the UK.
“We have had such positive feedback from our customers about our progress so far that we have taken these plans to the council well ahead of our original plan.”
Contractors have been appointed and work will start in January, with plans for the 1,811sqm plant canopy to be completed by March and the 1,155sqm soft play and event space to be open by the summer.
Mark added: “Whilst we are, and always will be, a garden centre led by gardening products, we will now be so much more than a garden centre. The soft play and events space will be a great addition to our facilities.”
