Director has 25 years' experience in the sector
Wyevale Garden Centres appears to be focusing on its property assets, after the appointment of out-of-town retail specialist Andrew Lewis-Pratt as non-executive director, who takes up the post today.

Meanwhile, Wyevale announced today that non-executive director John Osborn is stepping down from the board after eight years.

Lewis-Pratt is managing director at Capital & Regional's retail park fund The Junction and has a property career spanning 25 years. He was previously managing director at retail warehousing developer Citygrove, before creating Edge Properties in the early 1990s and Lanham in 1994, which was acquired by Capital & Regional in 1997.

Wyevale chief executive Robert Hewitt said: 'We are delighted that Andrew has joined the Wyevale board. His extensive experience of property - in particular, out-of-town retail - will prove invaluable.'

The announcement comes after signs from two other retailers in the gardening sector that property development was on their agendas. Dobbies Garden Centres revealed a shaky six months, but said it was bullish on long-term future trading, based on a strategy of expanding into new sites over the next two years. Blooms of Bressingham announced a share placing last week, which it said would fund a strategy of site acquisitions.

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