Garden centre chain Dobbies is to open the UK’s “most eco-friendly garden centre” while parent Tesco plans to open allotments to take advantage of Brits’ passion for growing their own food.

Dobbies has been granted planning permission to open the environmentally friendly store at New Park, in Lang Stracht, Aberdeen.

The 51,960 sq ft Garden World, which opens in spring next year, will have an almost entirely timber structure, developed “utilising the latest innovations in green technology”. These include the use of renewable energy systems such as micro-generation turbines, a biomass boiler, energy efficient light fittings and solar panels.

The store will sell horticulture and gardening products, furniture, gifts and homewares. It will also house a pets department and a section devoted solely to sustainable and eco-friendly products, while hiring an environmental champion to “drive continued best practice”.

Dobbies has also started selling chickens, hens and chicken coops as it aims to cash in on consumers’ flight towards self-sufficiency in the recession. Tesco has applied for planning permission to create 30 allotments on land next to its Dobbies Southport store in Lancashire. If permission is granted they will be rented out from next spring.

Dobbies property director Stuart Wright said the eco-store will bring a new kind of garden centre experience to Aberdeen. He said: “We are really excited about the development, which will offer horticultural expertise within a state of the art retail and leisure destination for the people of Aberdeen.”

Dobbies’ existing garden centre in the area will remain open until the new store is trading.

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