Harborough district garden centre with roots going back more than a century to extend and build new café

A garden centre, which has been in business for 110 years, has been given the green light to extend its base in Thurnby.

The owners of Coles Plant Centre in Uppingham Road applied to Harborough District Council for planning permission to build a café and remove buildings onsite, which has since been approved.

The centre is owned by James Coles & Sons Nurseries Ltd, a business first established in 1913 by James Coles – the great-grandfather of the current managing director of the same name. It started with the purchase of an eight acre site in Evington and was initially required to grow and supply fruit and vegetables during the first world war.

This work continued until the conclusion of the second world war and then the company moved fully into the production of wholesale plants. It has massively extended since and according to planning documents, the company is the ‘the UK’s largest grower of trees and shrubs’.

Coles Plant Centre is described as the retail branch’ of the company and now the owners are looking to improve the site. This will see the site’s retail shed, toilets and storehouse at the east of the car park all removed, as well as a number of canopies used to shelter produce.

The plan will see the onsite shop building used as a small café, which is an ‘integral element of success’ for plant retailers according to the applicant. It will house the cafe’s kitchen, counter and washing up facilities and planned extensions to the building will provide a seating area, customer toilets, further kitchen space and an office.

As the existing store will be converted into a café, the owners have proposed to build a replacement to the north of the site. They also hope to increase the size of its outdoor sales area, which primarily offers plants, pots and statues.

Planning documents reveal the on-site car parking will be improved because of the redesign. Currently there are 99 spaces on site but this will increase to 110, including six disabled bays and eight parent and child spots. Access will remain at its current location via the A47 Uppingham Road.