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GTN's Trevor Pfeiffer reviews 2020 with Peter Seabrook
Who will be the winners in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards? There's still time to enter before the New Years Eve closing date
Christmas decorations made from natural materials
Record entries to popular Illumination Street contest
Decision to close Scottish garden centres ‘disappointing’
Two charities benefit from Zest's 2020 fundraising
Over £7,000 worth of prizes to be won in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards
Get set for Garden Re-Leaf Day 2021!
The New Environmentalist - Nature will become ‘second nature’ to future generations
Local community saves Thetford Garden Centre from flooding
The Top 100 Most Read Stories of 2020
Garden Centres close their doors "We want to be part of stopping the spread of Coronavirus"
Trading update from this weekend - UPDATED
Garden centres in England and Scotland can stay open - now is the time to review Covid-19 safety
Exeter garden centre stays open but cannot sell plants - Cherry Lane close all centres
Dobbies remain open and social media gets heated
Most Read Stories in 2020 – 6-10
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GCA GROW prepared garden centres for re-opening after lockdown
Landmann Ltd bought by DS Group 
The best of last week's
Kent garden centre closes early for Christmas to keep staff safe
Back to the future...
Centre faced with ‘crazy’ order to close mini golf course
Heaven Sends to launch New Christmas 2021 Preview from Jan 4th
Tim Jeffries to leave Mr Fothergills
Biggest garden centre in Denmark almost completed
Whistler Grills looks to recruit Retail Sales Manager
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Perrywood at Christmas 2020 - with correct photo gallery now...
British Garden Centres open their 58th centre at Thatcham
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
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Decision to close Scottish garden centres ‘disappointing’

The decision to remove Scottish garden centres from the list of essential retailers, resulting in them being closed from Boxing Day, has been widely criticised.

 

James Clark, Director of Policy and Communications at the Horticultural Trades Association, said: “The news that Scotland has decided to tighten the definition of what is included as ‘non-essential retail’ to include garden centres is hugely disappointing. Although the new strain of the virus is concerning and clearly something that demands action, we firmly believe garden centres are essential for enabling better mental and physical wellbeing for people who are trying to manage the impact of restrictions on daily life.  

 

“There is little to no evidence that garden centres are a covid transmission risk - in fact they provide large and airy environments, which have been enhanced by the introduction of first-class, tailored social distancing measures - and should be able to stay open. Allowing ‘click and collect’ services provides only the barest of business needs – we know from the last lockdown that only 15-20% of sales were achieved in this way. 

 

 “For Scottish retailers and growers - whose route to market depends on garden centres - going into the key Spring season on the back of a long lockdown period will be hugely damaging to their businesses. Growers are putting planting plans into operation now. We need the Scottish Government to recognise this and take the appropriate action to help safeguard the future of our industry. We will be seeking meetings with Ministers urgently, with a view to getting garden centres open as soon as possible in the new year.”  

 

The Scottish Retail Consortium said shops have taken “every mitigation possible to keep customers and staff as safe as possible.”

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