Plans by garden centre to use house for staff training

J. Parkers, who run the neighbouring Anwick Garden Centre and bulbs business on Church Lane, is applying to North Kesteven District Council planners to use Duiker House as offices and a staff training facility with accommodation for visitors to stay over.  

J. Parkers say they have invested significantly in the Anwick site over the last 10 years.

As well as renovating and re-purposing old buildings into a modern garden centre, the main investment has been in the expansion of their pick and pack production. Managing director Paul Duiker-Parker says in his submission: “This was to facilitate the relocation of our retail mail order/digital business from Old Trafford, Manchester to Anwick. This successful move in the summer of 2020 has allowed the business to grow, bringing with it significant employment growth.

“Duiker House as the name suggests was built by my grandfather and J. Parkers jumped at the opportunity to purchase the property from my cousin to keep it within the ownership of the family.”

Their main administration function remains in Manchester, but they need more space at Anwick for management offices, IT, support and training. He said: “With our main digital, marketing, customer service and IT functions remaining in Manchester we have also realised the need for more synergy between our two main sites. Duiker House would give us an opportunity for residential training, hot desking and networking days allowing for departments in both sites to work together and share information.”

It would not mean extra jobs but would see existing administrative functions from other parts of the site moved to the four bedroom house and they would continue to use the ample existing parking. The majority of the time the drive would be empty. The maximum number of employees from Old Trafford and occasional trade/supplier visitors staying would be eight.