Bents Garden & Home has been given the green light by Warrington Borough Council for its £10m development programme.
The Cheshire garden centre is set to roll out its ambitious plan over the next five to 10 years, with the aim of becoming the north west's "ultimate garden, home and leisure destination".

Work will begin in 2012 to create a larger, contemporary retail space, offering 121 full and part-time job opportunities across all areas of the business.

Plans include building a two-story glazed atrium, with escalators leading up to 3,800sq m of retail, leisure and educational space. The centre will also gain nearly 18 acres of wildlife gardens and a farmshop.

Bents says plants will remain central to the business, however, with the company's own plant nursery set to expand production by 27% over the next two years.

Md Matthew Bent said: "We've come a long way since Bent's business was established by my grandparents nearly 75 years ago and the go-ahead for our latest plans allows us to embark on yet another exciting stage in our journey.

"We never forget our roots as plants people, but we've worked hard to create a destination that is no longer just focused on the garden but also encompasses home and lifestyle. Our new plans aim to build on this and create the ultimate one-stop shop, providing visitors with a quality alternative to large-scale shopping centres, without losing any of the choice, quality or levels of service."