Garden centre furore
Debate is heating up about whether garden centres should be closed during current pandemic restrictions. Garden centres retained essential status in this lockdown (at the time of going to press), but one garden centre owner is calling for the industry to shut for the season to keep staff and customers safe.
Chris Bonnett, of Bonnetts Garden Village in Brentwood, Essex, believes garden centres should only open if selling essentials such as pet food and fuel.
He said: “I’m urging garden centres who are choosing to remain open not to be shortsighted and lose the essential status they’ve been fortunate enough to receive. Now is a good time for the sector to go into winter hibernation so things can open up fully unhindered in spring.”
But industry bodies the Horticultural Trades Association and Garden Centres Association have defended the current position.
They said: “Garden centres offer real benefits to people wrestling with the impact of this pandemic. We have seen from the huge interest in gardening since the last lockdown how engaged consumers are with gardening. Garden centres being open supports British growers and local communities and keeps people at home with something to do.”
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