PLANS for a new garden centre in Clacton have been thrown out by council bosses. 

Tendring Council received an application to build a new garden centre on land south of Centenary Way, in London Road, last year.

Developers had wanted to transform the site, used for car boot sales, by putting a building and an external plant sales area on the west of the plot.

There also would have been parking spaces for up to 119 cars. 

But planning bosses have refused the application, stating “main town centre uses should be located in town centres” and the site “is not considered to be an accessible site”. 

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: Location - A plot of land in London Road, Clacton has been suggested to be transformed into a

They added: “The proposal would result in the permanent loss of part of an area of unimproved grassland and its replacement with permanent built development and extensive hard surfacing for car parking.  

“It is not considered that planting within the limited confines of the application site would mitigate this harm and the proposal would compromise the undeveloped character of the site and diminish the role of the land as an important green gap.” 

Insufficient access and the lack of protection for protected wildlife species were also mentioned as grounds of refusal. 

Little Clacton Parish Council also criticised the fact it had not being consulted prior to the application being submitted and backed the refusal. 

Two proposals for 175 homes on the site were previously refused by council planners in 2015 and 2017.