Garden centres on the Isle of Wight — which had been offering a click and collect service to sell their supplies — have been stopped by the Isle of Wight Council for not following government guidelines.
Since lockdown began at the end of March, shops, other than those providing essentials, were told premises must close to members of the public, although ‘staff may be present to make deliveries or provide services in response to orders such as those through telephones, online or mail’.
Now, 2 garden centres — Medina Garden Centre and Honnor and Jeffery Garden Centres — who responded to the lockdown by setting up a click and collect service as well as delivery have had to stop part of the business.
In a statement on its website Honnor and Jeffery Garden Centres said it had been forced to stop. It said:
“We are disappointed with [the council’s] interpretation of government guidance; we had found a safe contact-free way of offering a much sought-after service, but we must follow their ruling.
“There is a big debate going on nationally, regarding the important role of garden centres during this lockdown and the benefits of gardening for positive mental health and of the fairness of different shops that are allowed to open or being forced to close when the items they sell are the same.”
Some complaints have been made about supermarkets being able to sell other gardening materials but local garden centres being told to close.
Honnor and Jeffery also apologised for increasing the delivery charge to cater for the orders which would have been processed as click and collect but said its hand was forced.
However, the Isle of Wight Council said it has been working closely with the Office for Product Safety and Standards, who provide advice and guidance for local authorities on the restriction regulations.
A spokesperson said:
“They confirm click and collect is only available to businesses permitted to be open.
“Businesses required to close under the legislation are still able to operate, but only with a delivery service.
“We have advised any business only permitted to offer delivery should cease any click and collect option.
“We are aware that the guidance and government policy is evolving to current situation and it is possible that this may change in the coming weeks”.
So what about B&Q then? I can’t see they are any more essential!
So it’s OK for B&Q to open up and allow people actually in store and queue to buy gardening materials and plants but not a garden centre that introduces a safe contact-free click and collect service??????
Totally agree. Just goes to show what a shyte bunch of jobsworth we have in the council !!!!
I may only be guessing here, but b&q is on council land hence more money for the ever bulging pockets of the council.
The other two i think are on private land. Maybe someone could clarify that.
Sadly Clarification below, see my reply to Opinion Matters comment. But you would think the Council would be able to use some discretion, and help a local business survive. Just remember, the Council will do what’s easiest and cheapest for themselves, not what’s common sense or best for the council tax payers who pay their wages. Take the fiasco of the re-opening of lynbottom reported yesterday, and that’s just scratching the surface.I Run a national shop in Ryde, currently closed due to Corona. Yes there are company policies, but I am allowed to use common sense in my store, as a one size fits all approach just doesn’t work.
Obviously you didn’t tip the right person at the council then
Yeah, I agree, how have B&Q got away with it? They are allowing the public inside their stores. What’s wrong with a Click & Collect or Delivery service? Bloody stupid IOW Council
I’ve said the same thing since the lock down started, but alas it is central governments fault, They said food shops I:E supermarkets could open for essential groceries, but they also said it is permissible for them to sell anything else of their choosing, such as plants and clothes. Same as B&Q Open for essential supplies to repair a house. Such as a switch or a pipe fitting, but with the same caveat as the supermarkets. And again B&M, Home Bargains, The Range & Poundland. Because they sell a proportion of food they can sell whatever they like. It makes my blood boil, it just brings people out unnecessarily when the motto is stay at home. You would think that the council could make an exception for these local businesses, as they have proved they are observing social distancing. So many small shops will not survive this, while the big boys rub their hands with glee. But what do you expect from a CONservative government and council. We pay our council tax, many services paid for but undeliverable, understandable. But as staff who work in these services are being furloughed, at no expense to the council, we should get a rebate of some sort, not a 4% increase. It was bad enough 4% increase with all the proposed cuts before corona, but now I just feel cheated. Sadly due to the ageing population, the island will always be a blue seat and nothing will change. GRRRRR, Dave Stewart show some common sense, after all, we are meant to be all in this together.
Someone told me that the Council has shares in B&Q for their pension pot. They have also closed the gardening section at Morrison’s, Lake. Many elderly folk were angry and upset as the only enjoyment they have is doing a bit of gardening.
Plants still available at Morrisons lake today. Perhaps the actual garden centre external structure is closed today, due to the on going planning dispute after the store refit last year. Basically, when they submitted the plans to the council for the refit, there was no garden centre on the plans. They thought they would sneakily add it on last minute and no one would notice. They got around this by just using it as a storage area, but recently have chanced their arm filling it with plants and opening it up, even though as it’s so small you cannot practice social distancing in any way shape or form. Elderly folk angry though? I thought anyone over 70 was told to shield for 12 weeks, what are these people doing out, especially as a couple treating it as a day out, not an essential visit for basic necessities. Our neighbour is 80, and we make sure she doesn’t have to lift a finger. The more people are out, the longer the lockdown will last. I know we are all getting itchy, but short term pain is long term gain. GRRRRR
whats wrong with garden centres offering click and collect or delivering ,plenty of other businesses offer this service and anyone doing so should be encouraged and applauded for doing so in these difficult times not stopped by some jobsworth from county hall who probably has never run a business or done an honest days work in their life.
the chicken shop in ryde is allowed open so why doesnt the garden centre put their stuff in the chicken shop so customers can click and collect from there instead… I am getting a lot of parcels lost or stolen when hermes courier is used…any one else with a hermes problem on the island ?? maybe there is a drug problem to feed
So unfair on Garden Centres, heavy handed tactics by the council yet again……. and if the rules say that…..
“They confirm click and collect is only available to businesses permitted to be open.”
I know of a certain pub that is doing click and collect from there car park, is that allowed, I don’t think so.
Why are pubs and restaurants allowed to do take-away which is a form of click and collect.
Typical ruddy council. Obviously wants all local businesses to go belly up. It’s click & collect for heavens sake so times of collection can be arranged to keep to social distancing rules.
The council are they the law now?
Idiots gone nuts
Cannot see the problem with garden centres opening to sell plants and gardening essentials as long as they do follow the social distancing rules.
Such a shame gardening is great for mental wellbeing now and for when we reap what we sew,surely they could be given a chance to do it safely, what I don’t think is safe are the foreign workers coming over to work the fields unless they go into quarantine and tested, I doubt they are, aren’t there enough people on the island to work
So they’ve stopped Medina & Honnor and Jeffery then they should also stop B&Q & The Range
i HOPE our cOUNCIL WILL NOT BE TAKING BUSINESS RATES FROM GARDEN CENTERS AND TAKE A CUT IN THEIR OVERBLOWN SALARIES TO SHOW THEY SHARE THE HURT!!
if they have to shut then shut B&Q as well bloody stupid council
mole at Newport is open so why not garden centres
Because they are classed as an essential retailer. This is because they can loosely be called a pet food shop.
tesco’s sell a large amount of gardenning products garden centres remember this when the council puts up your council tax