The environment minister has finally approved plans for a £7m Dobbies garden centre just outside Lisburn in Northern Ireland, four years after the initial application was submitted.
The 50,000sq ft centre will be built on a 13-acre site on the town's outskirts and will be the first Dobbies centre in Northern Ireland. Planners had originally recommended that the scheme be refused. However, as one of his final acts while in office, outgoing Environment Minister Sammy Wilson gave the development the go ahead, a move his successor Edwin Poots agreed with.

Dobbies director of property Stuart Wright said: "We are excited at the prospect of opening a major new garden world, and our first in Northern Ireland, in Lisburn.

"We believe that our proposals will bring a quality garden centre to the area which will not only offer quality, range and value to garden and horticultural enthusiasts, but also a unique day out destination for all the family."