The future of a garden centre in Bath has been plunged into doubt after the site’s landowner applied for planning permission to turn it into a building development.

The application to erect eight homes following the demolition of existing buildings was lodged with Bath and North East Somerset Council just before Christmas.

It has left the owner of Bathford Nurseries and Garden Centre on Box Road shocked and dismayed.

Tony Norris has run the garden centre from its current site for 15 years and he admitted the application from the landowner had come out of the blue.

He told the Bath Chronicle: “My landlord put in a planning application to demolish the nursery and build eight dwellings just before Christmas.

 “We have until January 8 to get our objections in. I have been here for 15 years and my dad ran the business before me and he was here for nine years.

“I actually found out about the application on January 2 when I came back from the Christmas break.”

The development proposes four detached and four terraced homes. According to the planning statement, a letter from the landowner said the “current garden centre use is unsustainable to maintain”.

Mr Norris is encouraging his customers and other members of the public to submit objections to the application before the deadline.

 “I’m trying to get as much support as I can by telling current customers and people living in the neighbourhood they can put in objections online,” he said.

“We have many customers who are really worried.”

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