Plans for a major new nursery in South Holland have been submitted to the district council.
The applicant, Blofield Nurseries, already operates in South Norfolk but cannot expand further on the existing site.
“The existing site has been expanded to its limits and the new site is required to meet the growing needs of the business as it expands to meet the demands of its customers,” says a supporting document with the planning application.
A new glasshouse and shed is proposed for land at New River Gate, Holbeach St Johns.
The ten-acre site is currently surrounded by agricultural fields and the new glasshouse would have a shed incorporated at the front of the development.
The building would be 81m wide and 243.5m long, with a total floor area of 19,830.6 square metres – around five acres.
There would also be a reservoir constructed to serve the business.
Access to the site would be provided in the north west corner and leads to a parking and turning area with the building behind.
The reservoir would be built on the south west corner to store and recycle rainwater from the development.
The shed will include staff facilities and an office. It will also be used for secure storage.
New jobs would also be created on the site with one manager, an assistant and ultimately 15 additional seasonal employees.
The nursery would grow plants purely for wholesalers and would not be open to the public.
The application also says the site will have a 2m fence with a laurel and hawthorn hedge planted within the boundary.
An accompanying traffic document states that during the month of February there would be 30 HGV dispatch movements a day. The figure drops to four in March and April, two in June and none in July and August.
