Next has been given the go-ahead to build a new Home and Garden store in Cheshire.
The outlet will occupy an undeveloped 1.26 hectare site next to Handforth Dean retail park, near Wilmslow, which has branches of Marks & Spencer, Bhs and Tesco.

Included within the £10m project will be a conservatory-style building, coffee shop and outdoor sales area for garden products. DIY products, homewares and clothes will also be part of the mix, and parking will be provided for 209 cars.

The new store is expected to open within 12 months and to create 185 jobs. It will replace the existing Next store at Stanley Green.

The site, which is owned by Cheshire East Council, had been designated 'employment land', meaning that retail development would generally not be allowed on it. However, the rule was relaxed because the land had been left unoccupied for some years and there was no reasonable prospect of it being used specifically for employment purposes. Next was alone in putting in a planning application.

The fashion-cum-home retailer is currently building a Home and Garden store in Hedge End, near Southampton, which is due to open next April.