Garden centre's proposal for new store and cafe is counting on planning permission
An established garden centre in north Derbyshire is aiming to enhance its customer experience with a new store and cafe.
The plan for the grounds of Unstone Garden Centre, Main Road, Unstone is to construct a new building that would accommodate a garden centre store on the ground floor and customer cafe on the first floor.
Four full-time employees would staff the proposed new facilities, according to an application submitted to North East Derbyshire District Council. Three full-time employees currently work at the garden centre.
A design and access statement reads: “The proposal has been designed to complement the existing garden centre and improve the range of facilities available to customers while supporting the continued growth of the business.”
The new building would form part of the existing commercial use rather than extending development into open countryside.
Measurements for the proposed ground floor store are 20m wide, 16m deep with a floor area of 320m². The space occupied by the cafe would be 12m wide, 16m deep with a floor area of 192m²; the remaining area on this floor would allow double-height retail space or mezzanine overlooking the shop.
Existing landscaping will be retained where possible. Additional planting around the building will soften its appearance and reinforce the garden centre setting.
The development will utiilise the existing garden centre access and established customer parking. The statement says: “The proposal is not expected to generate significant additional traffic beyond that associated with the existing garden centre operation, with many cafe users also being existing retail customers.”
The application is open for public consultation until September 23, 2026.