RedFox Garden World plans expansion - this is what is proposed at the site

South Tyneside Council’s planning department has received an application for RedFox Garden World off the A184 Newcastle Road, within the green belt area.

The development site sits near South Tyneside’s border with Sunderland and Gateshead, and falls within South Tyneside’s Fellgate and Hedworth ward.

New plans are seeking permission to demolish existing single-storey detached greenhouses to make way for a larger replacement to help “expand the horticultural element of the business”.

The application for the new ‘single-storey detached glasshouse’ has been submitted by Red Fox Nurseries along with supporting documents.

Planning documents submitted to council officials note the works would demolish 471 square metres of greenhouses and replace them with a greenhouse development offering 1,500 square metres.

A design and access statement claims the plans would represent a visual improvement to the site and an “acceptable development within the Green Belt” by offering a “sympathetic design”.

This includes the scale of development and the “nature of the transparent materials and the lightweight structure blending into the surroundings with minimal impact”.

It was also noted that the proposed greenhouse would be “heavily shielded from the A184 by dense mature trees and hedges”.

The design and access statement explains there have been a number of changes to the site over the past 30 years or so.

It reads: “The location has seen much planning activity over the last three decades from early establishment of the business and permissions for poly tunnels in the mid-nineties to major expansion and partial change of use to café and retail a decade ago.

“The business has continued to thrive and provide an exemplar within the borough of South Tyneside, this application proposes the construction of a new detached greenhouse to be used for the growth and propagation of trees, shrubs and flowers as part of the horticultural use”.

A decision on the planning application will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

For more information on the proposal or to track its progress, visit South Tyneside Council’s online planning portal and search reference: ST/0067/23/FUL