A POPULAR garden centre has announced its opening date for its new location.

Whitakers set for relocation

Whitakers, the family-run garden centre in Prescot, has revealed the date of its grand opening of the new site at Manchester Road, around a mile away from its current premises, which has been in development since 2022. 

The landmark garden centre, established nearly 110 years ago, has been located on Liverpool Road.

In December 2020, Knowsley Council's planning committee approved controversial plans to replace the current Whitakers site with 227 houses.

The location is set to do its final day of trading on March 26. when customers will have a final opportunity to pick up any last-minute items, before saying a final goodbye to the historic site.

Several artefacts and heritage items uncovered during the move including old tills, records and photographs are being taken across to the new garden centre and will be proudly displayed.

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The new, modern premises will offer shoppers around 1,500 square metres of retail space which will stock the business’ full range including outdoor and indoor plants, garden furniture and equipment as well as a wide range of accessories.

In addition, there will be a new, larger café for customers, with both internal and external seating.

When will the new premises open?

The new purpose-built building located on Manchester Road, Prescot, is set to open to the public on Thursday, April 6. Customers will be welcomed into the new store from 9am and will have the opportunity to browse the brand-new aisles filled with new stock and pay a visit to the much-anticipated café and bistro.

A ribbon cutting will take place at 9am, with orange juice or cava available for those first through the door.

'We're so excited'

Ian Lammond, Whitakers Garden centre manager, said: “It’s been a crazy few months developing the new Whitakers site, but after a lot of hard work and determination we are so pleased to be able announce the opening date to all our wonderful customers.

"We are so excited to welcome our customers through our doors, and hopefully everyone will love our new store even more than before.”

Paul Beesley, director of Whitakers Garden Centre, added: “Our customers will know that the garden centre will welcome a fresh and modern upgrade, we’re all really pleased with what we’ve build over here at Manchester Road and can’t wait to share it with our customers soon.”