Located off Belton Road, the existing family-run garden centre, which has been trading since 1978, would be demolished to make way for the mixed-use development. A new garden centre is proposed as part of the plans.

Of the 67 new homes, 33 would be three-bedroom houses, 15 two-beds, 11 four-bed properties, and six one-bed homes. As well as a 20 per cent target for affordable housing, 20 homes will be retirement apartments.

But the potential scale of the 7.1 hectare development does not end there.

The southern part of the site is proposed to be a retail area. This includes a 13,500 sq foot new supermarket and 5,000 sq feet for “charity provisions”. But there is room also for a health centre, replacement garden centre, three more commercial, retail or leisure units and 161 parking spaces. Well over a tenth of the site would be set aside for greenspace, and this could include allotments or a community orchard.

PB Planning say in the application’s cover letter that if approved it will only expand the size of Epworth by two per cent, when taking into account existing previously developed areas of the site. It has also indicated willingness to enter into Section 106 agreements, where developers pay towards infrastructure needs in the community as part of the agreed planning permission.

Fairly little is known at this stage about who may fill the retail space, though the supermarket is promised to be a food store that meets a gap in local provision.

Surplus to Purpose are linked to the charity unit as potentially using it as a new HQ. Currently based in Leeds, th environmental enterprise specialises in the interception of surplus food destined for landfill. This may be past its sell by date, have suffered accidental damage, or deemed surplus to requirements.

An education facility is also suggested as a possible use for on the site, subject to discussions with Epworth Education Trust.

An environmental impact assessment screening opinion has been requested for the mixed-use development, one of the very first stages in a large-scale planning application. Public consultation ends on March 1 and so far there has been a marmite-like reaction to it.

“I do support this as it helps people with the cost of living, it now costs £7 to go to town and back in my vehicle just to get a shop so I think it will be good to have a supermarket,” said one supportive comment. “It will help create jobs, have less traffic driving to Scunthorpe and will not impact on independent shops in the high street,” argued another person favouring the development.

But others have objected, with air pollution, traffic and strain on existing infrastructure concerns variously cited. One vigorously opposed objector said: “The proposed development is not about making the historic market town of Epworth a better place, it’s about property developers making money, the impact on the town will be irreversible and I do not agree with it”.

“You’re taking away the historic beauty of the village,” said another passionate opponent. As of February 17, there were more supportive public comments than objections.

Epworth Garden Centre near Yorkshire set to become 67 new homes, supermarket, retail village and offices