Northampton garden centre to close next month due to 'costs' and 'decline in customers'

Billing Garden Centre, which is run by charity Shaw Trust and has been since before the pandemic, will close its doors for good at the end of November. There is currently a closing down sale ongoing, with “50 percent off everything”.

The garden centre is based at Billing Garden Village, where a number of local businesses operate from huts elsewhere on the site. The closure refers to only the garden centre and does not include any of the other businesses operating on the same site.

A spokeswoman for Shaw Trust said: “We have taken the difficult decision to close Great Billing Garden Centre due to increased running costs and a decline in number of customers. The centre will close on November 30, and will be handed back to the landlord.

"We’d like to thank all the staff at Great Billing Garden Centre for their hard work and dedication over the years, and all our customers who have visited and supported the centre.”

Shaw Trust is a national employment charity, which helps people to find jobs. It provides education and training for those starting out and those looking to progress in their jobs.

The closure news comes as Dobbies also announced that its Harlestone Heath branch is expected to close as part of a “larger restructuring plan aimed at addressing ongoing financial challenges”. This will put 28 jobs at risk and is among a long list of expected national closures.