DETAILS of how an ambitious new-look garden centre could look have been unveiled.

Fermoy’s Garden Centre in Totnes Road, Ipplepen is in line for a multi-million pound redevelopment and an artist’s impression of the replacement building shows a Victorian-style design, based on the 19th century botanical palm house of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh.

Owners Blue Diamond, who took over the popular garden centre in 2013, have submitted the details to Teignbridge planners.

Outline permission was approved in February 2014 which required the detailed design to be submitted within three years.

The bid is to provide a ‘modern, purpose-built, environmentally-friendly garden centre’.

Established 25 years ago, the site has grown over the years but on an ad hoc basis and its current internal layout is not considered suited to modern retailing.

If approved, the redevelopment features double-glazed domes, sandstone effect arches and framed glazing to reflect the Victorian model.

Fermoy’s attracts half-a-million customers every year to its garden centre, farm shop, cafe and other retail offerings.

With an annual turnover of £7 million, it employs 90 staff.

If the plans are approved, the new-look centre would generate a further 30 jobs.

The proposals include parking for 400 cars and an improved layout, including 12 disabled spaces and coach drop-off points.

A statement to planners says the aim is to ‘deliver a new garden centre of high quality design that can be implemented while the existing centre continues to trade which is a matter of paramount importance to the owners and the local economy’.

The plan is to build in three phases.

For phase one, the existing centre will remain open while construction is underway.

Once completed, the original centre will be demolished and the car park extended.

Phase three will be work to improve the entrance.

A decision is expected by the beginning of April.