2 minute read
New owner's at World's End Garden Centre
Dobbies unexpectedly announced its imminent closure via its customer loyalty scheme on 10 February, leaving many staff, franchise operators, independent business owners and the much-loved mental health charity Lindengate, uncertain of their future.
Hundreds of people queued for a 50% off closing-down sale, seeing shelves stripped nearly bare, while the rumour mill was working overtime. By the end of that week Blue Diamond Garden Centres had announced its intention to take over the lease, redevelop and the site re-open as a premier garden centre.
At the time of going to press, it was expected that Dobbies will close the site on 2 March and Blue Diamond Garden Centres will take control a week later. The date for the store to start trading again will depend on negotiations over fixtures and fittings. If what we have been told is accurate, this will be the third site that Blue Diamond has taken over from Dobbies – the others being Huntingdon and Harleston Heath. The Wendover site will become the group’s 50th site.
Blue Diamond Garden Centres are well-known by many thousands who visit their sites all over the UK and Guernsey. According to the company’s publicity, “customers enjoy high standards of food in their restaurants, extensive, well-laid out plants, clean, bright and inviting spaces with a huge offering of lifestyle items, making their sites a destination experience.” This takeover and redevelopment adds to other changes at the World’s End area seen in recent years including the Wendover Day Nursery, the new Wendover Manor redevelopment of the adjacent care home, and the hostel at the former Coombe Lodge. The old Village Gate pub is still derelict however.
Frank Durden, chair of Lindengate trustees, told Wendover News: “Lindengate has enjoyed a positive relationship with Dobbies since they took over the site from Wyevale in 2018, and we are sad to see them closing. We understand an established group will shortly be taking over the site and continue to operate it as a garden centre and look forward to working alongside them. In the meantime, Lindengate will continue to operate as normal, delivering the existing schedule of programmes, events and open gardens.”
