Wyevale Garden Centres have announced the sale of Bridgemere Garden Centre and Bridgemere Nursery to Blue Diamond, and Cheltenham Garden Centre to Webbs Garden Centres.

The acquisition of Bridgemere Garden Centre and Bridgemere Nursery increases the footprint of the Blue Diamond brand to 37 centres and brings the total number of garden centres bought by Blue Diamond during the Wyevale Garden Centres sale process to 16. The site will continue to operate as a garden centre and nursery.

Webbs Garden Centres’ purchase of Cheltenham Garden Centre increases their Midlands based operation to three centres. This site will also continue to operate as a garden centre.

Both sales are expected to complete by mid-September.

Anthony Jones, Chief Operating Officer at WGC, said:

“Alan and the Blue Diamond team’s decision to acquire Bridgemere centre and nursery demonstrates the strength and potential of this historic garden centre. I am also delighted Cheltenham will be under new ownership with the respected garden centre operator Webbs. I would like to thank all of our colleagues at these centres for their skills and hard work and wish them the very best under the new ownership.”

Alan Roper, Managing Director of Blue Diamond, said:

“As a horticulturalist, I am personally so pleased to be acquiring Bridgemere centre and nursery, which I have known since the 1980’s. I look forward to focusing on its original virtues and to working with our new colleagues at the centre. I would like to thank the team at Wyevale Garden Centres for their support and professionalism throughout this process.”

Edward Webb, Chairman of Webbs Garden Centres Ltd, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Cheltenham to the Webbs family of stores. We are an independent, family owned garden centre operator with over 150 years of horticultural roots in the Midlands. Cheltenham will be our third centre and is the perfect fit, giving us a very natural extension to our existing and long-established

customer base. We look forward to welcoming the team on board and continuing to develop Cheltenham into a store that embraces the local community.”

WGC also announce the closure of two leasehold garden centres, Potters Bar and Syon Park. Both centres are expected to close in the autumn.

Anthony Jones said: “I am disappointed to announce two centre closures. Our ambition has always been to find a positive outcome for all centres but unfortunately Potters Bar Garden Centre and Syon Park Garden Centre will close in the autumn. I would like to thank all colleagues at these centres and wish them the very best for the future.”

Seperately a Wyevale Garden Centre spokesperson has confirmed to GTN Xtra that as well as Potters Bar and Syon Park, one of Nicholas Marshall's favourite garden centres, Elm Court in North Kent has also been handed back to their respective landlords. 

"Wyevale Garden Centres can confirm that is has surrendered its existing lease at Elm Court Garden Centre but has agreed terms to continue operating the site as a WGC under a license arrangement until September 2019. At the same time, WGC is working closely with the landlord to secure the future of Elm Court as a Garden Centre.

"On Syon Park, Wyevale Garden Centres can confirm that is has surrendered its existing lease at Syon Park Garden Centre but has agreed terms to continue operating the site as a WGC under a license with closure likely during Autumn 2019."

That now leaves just 28 Wyevale Garden Centres remaining to be sold from the original 145 that were put up for sale in May 2018.  They are:

• Blooms Swindon
  Bournville
  Braintree
  Brockworth
  Carmarthen
  Chilton
  Chipperfield
  Crawley
  Findon
  Harrow
  Hitchin
  John Brown
  Lewes
  Ongar
  Osterley
  Paddock Wood
  Playhatch
  Pulborough
  Ramsgate
  Rayleigh
  Sprowston
  Stanway
  Stevenage
  Thatcham
  Tring
  Upminster
  Wimborne
  Winnersh