Gloucestershire garden centre to be demolished for homes

The site will be redeveloped to make way for 16 new homes

A closed-down garden centre will be demolished to make way for more than a dozen homes, sparking hopes it will help village businesses thrive.

The former Staunton and Corse garden centre on Ledbury Road will be replaced with 16 new homes.

Forest of Dean District Council's development management committee agreed the proposals on 11 April.

The development will be led by Badminton Developments Ltd and Rockfield Property Group.

Council officers said the proposals, which include a mixture of one bed flats and two, three and four bedroomed houses, should be permitted, despite the land falling outside the settlement boundary, because of the council's need for more housing.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Colin Danks, speaking on behalf of the applicant, called on the committee to approve the plan.

He said: "We have worked for two and a half years with officers. We started with pre-application submissions and have gone through multiple changes to get to the scheme we have now.

"I hope that it shows it responds very positively to the local area."

The 16 new homes will also have car parking

Ward councillor Philip Burford (Independent, Hartpury and Redmarley) said previously that he had grave concerns about the site being used for housing.

But he said he now believes it is a great example of how housing can be put on sites which need better use.

"I have no problem with it whatsoever at all. The cherry on the cake is that the local convenience store is likely to be re-opening soon," he said.

"I would like to see the local pub re-open as well and then this part of the village would be properly fixed. It would be great."

Councillor Julia Gooch (Progressive Independents, Newent and Taynton) proposed approving the scheme and this was seconded by Councillor Simon Phelps (Independent, Westbury-on-Severn).

The committee voted unanimously to approve the proposals.