Plans submitted as former Bangor garden centre set for £5million redevelopment to offer unique antiques and hospitality destination

Plans have officially been lodged to transform a former garden centre on the outskirts of Bangor into a £5million unique antiques and hospitality destination.

The proposal, led by Justin Lowry of On The Square Emporium in Belfast, seeks to redevelop the former Dickson’s Garden Centre site on Cootehall Road, creating around 80 jobs and boosting the local economy.

Mr Lowry’s company, Justro Properties Ltd which purchased the site last year, recently submitted a full planning application to create a combined garden and antique centre, complete with a restaurant, farm shop, café, and a children’s play area.

According to the application, the 5.6-acre site would be redeveloped to “incorporate a garden centre use, with a view to provide Ireland’s first Antique and Garden Centre.”

The project to renovate and reopen as On The Square Emporium Antiques and Garden Centre would see the relocation of the Herron Road antiques business to the new Bangor location.

The application states: “Proposed alterations to, and extension of, the existing vacant Dickson’s home and garden centre to accommodate a new garden and antique centre with ancillary farm/deli shop/café, restaurant, landscaping and children’s play area. Development includes the reconfiguration of the existing car park and all other associated site and access works.”

The development plans include new entrance plaza which will feature ornamental planting and reclaimed gates from the Titanic Yard to ‘offer visitors an initial glimpse of what to expect once they start their journey into the site along with a positive sense of arrival’.

The proposal continued: "Once visitors have parked in the newly configured (more formal) parking area they will be directed to the new entrance Plaza with associated planted beds and ornamental seasonal planting providing a soft welcome to the building frontage.

“The informal children’s play area will offer parents and children alike a time to relax in the fair weather with full connection to the external terrace adjoined to the extended restaurant. The Viking long ships have been sensitively placed at a reduced level to mimic their natural position in the sea. Coupled with the screen hedging and ornamental tree planting proposed they will be barely visible to anyone outside the site boundary.

“There are existing conservatory buildings associated with the former Advanced Conservatories business which are proposed to be retained for use as retail sales areas for the garden centre. These will house specific crafts as an overspill from the main garden centre itself.

“The two other remaining businesses on the site, Tobermore paving and Clearly Aquatics will remain unaffected by these proposals and will remain intact to complement the main garden centre.”