Shrewsbury's Percy Thrower's Garden Centre sold

Wyevale has revealed that it has sold eight of its 145 sites to Blue Diamond.

But these do not include sites in Telford and Albrighton, which remain on the market.

Blue Diamond will be investing £16 million in remodelling the centres over the next three years to make them more like its Redfields Garden & Living Centre in Hampshire, and its Blue Diamond Garden and Home store near Nottingham.

Percy Thrower opened his garden centre in 1970 and the Thrower family sold in 2000 to the Bristol-based Garden and Leisure Group.

Alan Roper, managing director of Blue Diamond, said: “We are delighted to be acquiring these fantastic centres. We look forward to working with our new colleagues across the centres and welcoming them into the Blue Diamond family.”

In separate transactions, Wyevale has also agreed the sale of two further centres in Alfold and Binfield to Q Developments and Spitfire Bespoke Homes respectively.

It has also agreed to sell a parcel of excess land adjacent to its Beaconsfield centre to Oakford Homes.

The company said all three sites are likely to be redeveloped for residential use.

Anthony Jones, chief financial officer of Wyevale vale Garden Centres, said: “These centres were previously identified for potential redevelopment as part of the company’s active portfolio management strategy.

"We continue to explore all opportunities on non-core centres as part of the ongoing sale process. We are very grateful for the dedication and commitment of the teams at these centres.”

Wyevale said discussions regarding the sale to Blue Diamond and the individual centre sales started before the appointment of Christie & Co to explore offers for all or part of the remaining Wyevale Garden Centre group business.

With the process is continuing, the company has revealed that it has received a number of offers for all or part of the remaining business from a range of national, regional and financial operators as well as local business people.

Owned by Terra Firma, Wyevale is the UK’s biggest garden centre chain with 145 garden centres, ranging from local horticultural centres to major leisure destination venues.

Employing about 6,000 people, it began as a mail order nursery in 1932 before becoming one of the UK’s earliest garden centres in 1966.

Meanwhile, Blue Diamond currently operates 21 garden centres in England and the Channel Islands.