Plans to extend Fosseway Garden Centre have been passed despite protests from the town council and local residents.

The proposals include a soft play area, a new events space building, a new office and staff facilities as well as a mezzanine storage area, as well as a storage building, an outdoor sales area, a bigger car park and a new store entrance.

Moreton Town Council told Cotswold District Council: “There are concerns that products for sale will replicate those sold in town and will subsequently take trade away from the High Street.”

Comments on websites include these:

“The garden centre is becoming a shopping complex for most goods now and this is unfair on the tradesmen and women operating in the centre of town. The garden centre has an unfair advantage as it seems to be developing essentially farm land for commercial purposes. The town centre can't compete with that.”

 “It seems that the Fosseway Garden centre want to replicate all of the business activities along the High Street with the competitive advantage that their customers can park. What next - an onsite charity shop? We are already concerned how Aldi will affect our trade, it won’t take much more to make the whole town centre economically non-viable for all of the local businesses.

 “More traffic will obviously add further congestion to an already over-loaded Fosse Way.”