A planning application submitted to East Cambridgeshire District Council sought approval to extend Simpon’s Garden Centre on Station Road, in Fordham.
The extension will replace and formalise temporary facilities currently provided by a marquee which is attached to the main garden centre building.
The applicant, Simpon’s Nurseries Limited, also sought permission for a standalone building to be used as a cold store for the café and general store.
Currently, existing facilities are provided by sheds to the side of the building with the proposed new building “capable of storing additional produce to reflect additional trade.”
A statement said the proposals would “allow for the betterment of the dining experience” at the garden centre.
“The extension would permit the inclusion of more soft furnishings such as sofas and winged chairs with associated tables which have greater space requirements.”
The application received responses from both Fordham Parish Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, neither of which lodged objections.
An officer report concluded the proposals would have an “acceptable impact” on the character and appearance of the existing garden centre and local area.
It added: “The extension is considered to be logically placed, maximising opportunities for the provision of additional floor area without encroaching on the existing space surrounding the building which is used in connected with the garden centre and nursery.
“Whilst cumulatively the extensions represent a significant increase in the footprint and overall scale of the building, the visual impacts are considered to be acceptable and it is not considered that the proposals would be visible within public views of the site.
“The proposed building would be modest in height and scale, and it is not considered that it would be visible in public views of the site due to the location of the garden centre and its set back position from the public highway.”
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