Plans to demolish a Birdham garden centre and café and replace it with 14 homes have been approved by Chichester District Council.
The application for Russells Garden Centre, on the B2179, was given the nod by planning officers.
As well as the new homes, the development will include a commercial unit to the east of the site.
A design statement submitted with the application said: “The family run business evolved over a 25-year period into a lifestyle business with the retail and café elements supporting the garden centre.
“However, the last five years has seen a decline in footfall, compounded by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in the business being closed for one year.
“Since re-opening, the business has seen a dramatic decline in customer visits resulting in a reduction in employees.
“A review of the business model identified that the core retail business does not require the expansive floor area of the existing premises and could be consolidated into a smaller purpose-built commercial premises in line with the pre-application
advice received from [the council] in 2021.”
The development will be made up of four two-bedroom, two three-bedroom and two four-bedroom houses along with two one-bedroom, one two-bedroom, and three three-bedroom bungalows.
Four of the new homes will be classed as affordable.
To view the application, log on to publicaccess.chichester.gov.uk and search for 23/00067/FUL.
More houses there but kelleys was disallowed a few year’s ago and garden centre
further down was as well, something smells
What an awful shame, the cafe is lovely and so is the furniture. Why only four affordable houses, should be at least seven.
No extra doctors, dentists, schools.
Tiny lanes, more traffic
Bad idea
Footfall down because cafe was closed!
This garden centra has been deliberately run down over the last 5 years. Very few plants and alway closed. This was so as to get planning permission in my eyes There seems a redone to question how they got this permission
Yes no trees or bushes for a few year’s. There’s more furniture space than a garden centre, being run down for years and will not take cash!!!
I know of the owners ( not at all well or do i have any loyalty to them )however, they are good people and care about community. They have not deliberately run it down as some people said without any knowledge, just very opinionated -and to say such things is slanderous. If they were making millions in revenue from the garden centre , do you think this would be happening !! The economic realities are true for SME’s. I ask how many times did you go there and spend money!! It easy to blame the small business owners that to except economic realities.
Poor old Russells Nurseries – another bit of my 1970s childhood gone.
All these places change into different things, even back to their original sometimes, but when they turn into housing, it is forever and it spreads. The whole place is being slowly ruined by development, no place is sacred any more. That whole Bracklesham Lane used to be lovely not long ago.
Terrible!
Such a shame for a beautiful area. Why are the building houses and development that far up the lane?
“Affordable homes” are paid for by the other purchasers so not really affordable! The developer is not going to be out of pocket. They just add the required profit to the price of the non-affordable homes.