An award-winning garden centre has been given the green light to create extra sales space.

Planters Garden Centre, in Piccadilly, has received planning permission from North Warwickshire Borough Council to infill between existing buildings to add an extra 86m2 of retail floorspace.

The garden centre has been trading since 1990 and has grown steadily since opening.

A document supporting the application states: "As with most garden centres now, outdoor plants, shrubs and trees only account for a small percentage of overall sales.

"There is a demand for internal sales areas with emphasis on leisure, aquatics, clothing, foods, gifts, indoor plants etc.

"The garden centre aims to support local businesses, using local suppliers for produce, including farmers, growers, butchers etc and encourages others to do the same.

"It is anticipated that the construction of the extension will provide employment for local tradesmen."

A council officer report, recommending the application for approval, explains that Planters Garden Centre requires the extension as 'part of the continuing evolution of the business and a critical element that is driven by market signals and customer demand'.

"What's presented here is a perceptibly small extension to the sales element of the extensive site, adding 86m2 of floorspace, a nominal 1% increase on the existing sales floor area.

"In the context of a large rural based business with growing popularity, it is considered that there is a reasonable business case for a very small extension to the sales area which will continue to support premises which promote a strong local economy and provide employment opportunities for local people," it adds.