Further details on plans to convert a former garden centre into a new convenience store have been revealed.

A new Sainsbury’s Local is set to open at the site of the former Elm Ridge Garden Centre, on Coniscliffe Road in Darlington, after the popular family business closed in March. 

The closure coincided with the sale of the land and developers are now preparing a full planning application for the redevelopment of the site into a Sainsbury’s Local and office space. However, this is despite the previous owners of the garden centre and florist saying they thought it would remain a garden centre after their departure.

Mark Blake, manager of Elm Ridge, said the family was retiring after more than two decades at the helm. “Because we’d worked here for so long before taking the business over, it was a very seamless takeover, and many people didn’t realise it even happened,” he said. 

The potential store would also be located less than a mile from the current larger Sainsbury’s supermarket on Victoria Road. Yet some residents have supported the idea of redeveloping the building to ensure it doesn’t become derelict. 

A statement from ELG Planning, acting on behalf of the developer, read: “The development proposes the creation of a Sainsbury’s Local on the ground floor, with office space allowance to the first and second floors. The office space is set to comprise of 14office rooms and four meeting rooms. 

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“The existing building enjoys an unconstrained retail floor area of 870 sq metres. This has historically been used for the sales and display of products associated with the garden centre. The new store will be slightly less than half this floorspace at 389 square metres gross with a net sales area of 260 sqm.”

An initial consultation on the draft development proposals is open until Thursday, April 27. Click here for more information on the plans.

Sainsbury’s was contacted for comment but did not respond.