Shilbottle Road roundabout proposed as part of £13m garden centre development in Alnwick

Earlier this year, Northumberland Estates and centre operator, Blue Diamond, disclosed plans to build a brand-new, high-quality garden centre on land at Cawledge to the east of the A1.

The results of a public consultation undertaken last summer reveal that 74% of respondents felt a garden centre would be a welcome addition to Alnwick, while 73% supported efforts to increase the area's retail options and 71% were in favour of the garden centre and retail development on the site.

The store, which represents an investment of around £13m from Northumberland Estates, is expected to attract a significant footfall and create over 150 new full and part-time jobs.

Blue Diamond has committed to purchasing local goods whenever possible.

Director of planning and development for Northumberland Estates, Colin Barnes, stated: "Our objective is to have the premier garden centre in the North East situated here in Alnwick and we are pleased that there has been strong support for our proposals.

“A key part of our business objectives is to decarbonise some of our major assets, and we were pleased to see several respondents ask whether the project would incorporate renewable energy.

"EV charging, rainwater harvesting, and solar panels are being considered as options for the development and will be addressed in the planning application.

"To improve traffic flow, a new roundabout at the junction of Shilbottle Road, funded by development in the area, including the garden centre, is scheduled for construction in 2024.”

A full planning application is expected to be submitted in 2024.