Tong Garden Centre announces plans to open a third store in Wetherby as Tingley site set to open in summer

Tong Garden Centre, located in Tong Lane, Bradford, is very popular with customers in the region.

Last year, the business was given the go-ahead to build a £14million second site in south Leeds.

Construction has been ongoing to build a brand new garden centre and soft play area at the former Acanthus Golf Club off Thorpe Lane in Tingley.

It is set for a summer 2022 opening.

Yesterday (Wednesday 25), the garden centre announced plans for a further site near Wetherby.

A spokesperson for Tong Garden Centre said: "As work continues to get our Tingley site ready for opening in Autumn, we’re delighted to share the news that we have put in a planning application for a new garden centre at Thorp Arch Estate near Wetherby.

"This is a joint application with the owners of the estate and is for an 8500m2 garden centre which include everything that you have come to know and love about Tong.

"There will be an extensive plant area with everything to make your garden grow all year round, Grass Hoppers Adventure Play, two restaurants serving delicious homemade food and a Hearty’s Food Hall.

"The application also includes a second Mission Out site – our first epic adventure play area for 6 – 14 year olds opens at our new Tingley Garden Centre site this summer.

"We have been working behind the scenes with Thorp Arch on this application for around three years and we have been through a pre-application process with Leeds City Council.

"The proposed site is on the former retail park which was a series of bunkers originally used in the war effort that are all now empty.

"If we are successful with the application, we anticipate that the new garden centre will create over 200 local jobs, create lots of career opportunities for our current team and bring investment to the area."

The plans will go before Leeds City Council planners for a decision date on August 19, 2022.

Approval for the second site in Tingley was approved on Thursday, June 3, 2021.

Plans for the Tingley site include a large garden centre with a 1000m2 plant canopy and 2000m2 of outdoor sales space, a 400-seater restaurant, a Grass Hoppers indoor and outdoor play and a Hearty’s Food Hall.

The existing golf centre building will be the hub for an adventure play area set in five acres for 6 to 14 year olds, the company said

At the time,

Manning Director, Mark Farnsworth, said: “We are delighted to have the plans approved after three years working on this project.

"It’s been a big team effort and we’d like to thank all involved."