The well-known Orchard Park garden centre in Gillingham has been sold to a large company – and the site now looks to expand.

Guernsey-based Blue Diamond, Britain’s third largest garden centre operator, has bought Orchard Park for an undisclosed sum. It will be their 21st garden centre.

Announcing the news on its website, Blue Diamond said: ‘The site has planning consent to triple the size of the covered retail area to 5,000 sq m.  Our managing director, Alan Roper, hopes to amend the planning permission and start work on expanding the garden centre later in the year.’

Retiring managing director Richard Cumming said: ‘We’re absolutely delighted that Blue Diamond will be taking over the business. We’ve worked hard with our staff to create a business which is successful at a local and regional level and has lots of potential.’

Blue Diamond managing director Roper added: ‘Orchard Park is a very well located centre. It has a loyal customer base and we were particularly attracted by the opportunity of developing the centre and moving the business forward.’

Orchard Park was established in November 2003 has has become a well-known landmark on Kingsmead Business Park on the Shaftesbury side of the town.