An application to build 11 houses on the site of Fresh@Burcot Garden Centre near Bromsgrove is to be considered by Bromsgrove District Council.

A developer approached owners Neil and Nicci Gow with the proposals, which include eight properties at market prices and three described as intermediate homes to be offered at “between affordable and market prices”.

Neil Gow confirmed that the application was purely speculative at this stage and initiated by the developer. “Like any good business, we think it’s sensible to explore all the options and assess the value of the site” he told GTN Xtra. “It’s too early to say what will happen – these things taker a long time to determine.”

The Gows started Fresh@Burcot (formerly a Hurrans centre) 11 years ago while Neil was still director of the Garden Industry Manufacturers Association (GIMA). The business now employs more than 20 staff.

Local consultation on the proposals closes on 1 April.

Numerous road closures in the vicinity of the site have drawn criticism from Mr Gow over the years; a closure scheduled for this week is the 44th since the centre opened.

“We are a business dependent on people being able to get to us by road,” he told a local newspaper.

A Worcestershire County Council spokesperson said they always notified business owners in advance of any works. Because many of the roads in the area were narrow and without footpaths footpaths, they often needed to be closed fully “for health and safety reasons”.