Proposals for Dobbies' new flagship garden centre near Tewkesbury have taken an important step forward with the submission of the detailed designs to Tewkesbury Borough Council.

The new 75,000 sq ft garden centre with parking for 754 cars will be the largest Dobbies in South West England and the company's fourth largest in the UK.

It will be sited at Junction 9 of the M5 and adjacent to the A46 and the existing M&S Simply Food, Starbucks and BP petrol station.

The reserved matters application submitted by developer Robert Hitchins Ltd provides detailed information for the garden centre development, including layout, landscaping, scale, car parking and elevations in line with the outline planning permission already secured.

Simon Tothill, property and development director for Robert Hitchins Ltd, said: "We're delighted to be welcoming Dobbies to this new development near Tewkesbury which will provide a huge economic boost to the local area.

"Despite COVID-19, a lot of work has been carried out behind the scenes to ensure we are on target to start building later this year and to be opening the doors to the public in 2022."

The Dobbies store will feature an extensive plant area as well as a large food hall with on-site bakery, butchery and an ambient grocery offer, including fresh fruit and vegetables.

Additional attractions include a 500-seat table service restaurant, cookshop building and a pet department.

The new garden centre will share the same overall 180-acre site as the proposed 195,000 sq ft Designer Outlet Cotswolds which will feature some 90 retail units, restaurants and cafes along with 850 new homes, a school and a local centre.

Infrastructure works are due to commence later this year with both the garden centre and outlet village planned to open in the autumn of 2022.

The reserved matters application for the garden centre will be available to view on the website of Tewkesbury Borough Council.