160,000 sq ft Dobbies set for Speke

A VAST garden centre is to be given the green light by planners in Liverpool next week.

But the scale of the proposed six hectare Dobbies Garden World at the Boulevard Business and Leisure Park in Speke is so large it must receive final approval from central Government.

The 160,000 sq ft centre will have a large outdoor areas and a specialist aquatics department. It will also include a farm foodhall, offering locally grown produce and a restaurant. The company said it will invest £8m in the centre which will create 120 jobs.

Owned by North West property giant Peel, Boulevard Business and Leisure Park is a proposed mixed-use development with offices, industrial units and leisure facilities.

In its report the council said: “This is one of the most important sites on the entire Southern Gateway corridor and has lain vacant for a significant period of time. The proposal would introduce a landmark building that would continue the ongoing success and regeneration of the Speke area, one of the poorest wards in the country, and offer significant economic benefits to the area.”