Enforcement action taken against St Johns Plant Centre for allegedly trading illegally are on hold. This is after an announcement of plans to build 210 homes on the site.
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Tendring Council and St Johns Plant Centre, in Clacton, are in a battle. This has been ongoing since the council accused the centre of operating outside of its planning permission.
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The business insists it is not breaking any laws by trading as a retail garden centre and hosting a Christmas Wonderland attraction.
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Tendring Council served an enforcement notice, ordering the centre to stop its retail sales. It demanded it stop hosting its festive event.
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Last year, the council made a failed application for a High Court injunction to shut the event down due to traffic ?chaos”.
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The plant centre has lodged an appeal against the enforcement notice.
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The landowners have now submitted a planning application for redevelopment of the garden centre site.
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The scheme is for 210 homes and eight live-work units, but do not include plans for a garden centre.
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Following the application, Tendring Council has suspended its enforcement action.
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A council spokesman said officers would continue to watch the centre and its Winter Wonderland. This includes perceived traffic and access issues for evidence ahead of the appeal.
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The councillor responsible for corporate enforcement hailed this as a “positive step forward”.
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?The appeal against the enforcement notice will put the case before an independent Inspector. They will then rule once and for all on the matter,? he said.
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?They will look at the redevelopment proposals on their own merits.
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?These proposals do not include a garden centre on the site. I hope that St Johns Nursery has plans for a new home. As we know, it is a popular business.”
