Plans to build luxury houses on the site of a garden centre that closed earlier this year have been thrown out.
Capital Gardens, which has four garden centres in and around London, closed Highgate Garden Centre in July because of falling sales. It had already sold the freehold of the land the year before, and the new owner submitted plans to build three houses on it.

However, Haringey council has rejected the plans for the site, which is on an area called Highgate Bowl behind Highgate High Street. The Highgate Bowl Action Group, which opposes the building of houses on the land, described it as "one of the last undeveloped spaces in the historic Highgate Bowl, whose open aspect has defined Highgate throughout history, and is a key feature of the Highgate Conservation Area".

The group is now hoping for a community buy-out of the land, which it says has always been used for agricultural and gardening purposes, and the creation of a new ecology centre.

Meanwhile, Capital Gardens is believed still to be embroiled in a row with the National Trust over its Morden Hall Garden Centre. The trust wants Capital Gardens to cease operations on its site after the imminent expiry of its lease.