Major Milestone Garden Centre expansion bid gets green light

Milestone Garden Centre is situated on the southern edge of Newtown St Boswells. It comprises the garden centre building containing a retail area and café, and external covered retail areas.

Scottish Borders Council has now rubber-stamped a revised expansion programme.

It includes a new 1,561-square metres retail area enclosed by a 2.5m high timber fence, the erection of eight business units, including a café in front of the retail extension.

Also on the agenda is the formation of an external yard, two new storage buildings and a revision to the centre’s car park to include family and disabled spaces, EV charging spaces, bus parking and turning for delivery vehicles. The car park would be enclosed by a dry stone wall and gates.

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In a supporting statement the applicant says the business units would be used for shops, financial, professional and other services and that the café is proposed to complement the restaurant and to have a takeaway element.

In her report approving the scheme, Julie Hayward, SBC lead planning officer, says: “It is considered that the proposed extension of this existing business and the provision of business units would be acceptable.

“The proposal would increase the number of visitors and, provided the business units offer products and services not available in the village, the proposal is unlikely to have an adverse effect on the vitality and viability of the village centre or compete with existing retailers.

“A condition will control the size of each retail unit to prevent larger convenience goods stores being formed over time.

“One of the major aims is to regenerate the village centre. It is considered that the proposal is consistent with the development vision contained within the Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) and the proposal would not harm the village centre.”