Malcolm Scott Consultants Ltd gains double planning permissions for ambitious development at 14-hectare joint Forest Lodge and Birdworld site.
Previous planning applications for the site were withdrawn after being called in by the Secretary of State for a call in inquiry.

However, Malcolm Scott Consultants worked closely with scheme designer Massingale & Co to address concerns the Secretary of State had expressed and the major new garden centre building is set to feature 6,341m sq floor space - almost double the current 3,229m sq.

Its covered open-sided canopies will also increase from 1,297m sq to 1,650m sq, while the outdoor plant sales area will increase by a third to 1,916m sq. The centre will benefit from 538 car parking spaces - 209 permanent and 329 overflow.

Outline planning permission granted to enable the development is five detached houses, to partly meet the cost of the visitor centre and education building at Birdworld.

Closer links will also be created between Forest Lodge Garden Centre and Birdworld, including a single storey pet shop link building, and a light railway around Birdworld. The combined sites will employ around 300 staff. Forest Lodge acquired wildlife attraction Birldworld in 1996, combing the two businesses and further developing its additional feature, the Jenny Wren Farm.

Managing director Roger Head said: "We are delighted this long running saga has reached a successful conclusion. Malcolm Scott Consultants have successfully pre-empted a second call in by their expert and wide-ranging knowledge of town planning and garden centres."