Squire’s Garden Centres is actively looking for further sites having taken the difficult decision to part with their Windsor centre, which will close in the autumn of 2018.
The sum received from the sale of the site will be re-invested into Squire’s other centres, where they have an ambitious improvement programme, as well as being used to look for new investment opportunities.
Deputy chairman Sarah Squire said: “We are committed to re-investing in all areas of our business and one of our primary aims is to add further sites to our portfolio. We have confidence in the future of our sector despite the current economic and political uncertainty.”
Managing director Martin Breddy added: “We do not have any particular size requirements, although we are keen to keep within the South East of England, and our preference is for freehold sites wherever possible.”
Over the years Squire’s in Windsor has had limited ability to maximise its potential, partially for physical reasons due to its small car park, which is shared with customers and trucks accessing goods inwards, and also due to planning constraints given its green belt status. The Borough Council has an obligation to build houses to address the housing shortage in the area and identified Squire’s Windsor within the emerging Local Plan as being a site suitable for the development of about 40 new homes.
A number of development businesses expressed interest in buying the site. Given the inability to grow in the ways the company would like, these offers were considered seriously and a decision made to sell the site, Squire’s explains.
The centre will stay open for business throughout the spring and summer of 2018 and will eventually close in the autumn of 2018. Squire’s hope that as many team members as possible will be able to take alternative employment within the company.
Squire’s would like to thank their team at Windsor for their longstanding commitment and hard work, and they also recognise and thank their customers for their support over the years. Until the autumn of 2018, it is business as usual.
