'IT is time for Ivybridge to stand up and be counted' in the battle for trade, said district councillor Michael Saltern this week.

He was speaking after South Hams Council blocked plans for an expansion of Endsleigh Garden Centre.

The proposal, to turn the garden centre into what has been desc-ribed as an 'out of town shopping centre', was refused by district councillors because of its negative impact on Ivybridge town centre.

The council's development management committee discussed the proposal to increase the centre's floorspace and remove conditions on what items it is allowed to sell.

Cllr Saltern said the impact on Ivybridge town centre played a major part in the council's consideration.

Cllr Saltern added: 'The request to remove the conditions would have meant a significant impact on the town centre.

'The town is currently competing with Tesco and Endsleigh and time has come for it to stand up and be counted.

'We need to engage more positively with Endsleigh.

'We are hoping to arrange a meeting to try and find some common ground where Endsleigh can promote the town as well as itself.

'Hopefully, Endsleigh will realise the feeling within the town and we can move forward in a positive direction.'

Ivybridge Town Council's planning chairman, Cllr Tom Bowden, said the decision was a step in the right direction.

He said: I'm very happy with the decision. It will be a great help for the town. The problem Ivybridge faces is that we have very small units in town, so we would never have the likes of WH Smith – we just can't do it.

'It's a problem which will somehow have to be addressed.

'There is also a demand for an alternative supermarket, the likes of an Aldi or Lidl, which would bring more people to the town.'

The proposal by Endsleigh Garden Centre was to 'marginally increase' the floorspace associated with the sale of a number of permitted goods at the site.

In the application, it said: 'The offer and range of gardening and garden related products available at modern garden centres has expanded significantly.

'This has been driven by changed in market trends, customer expectations, viability considerations arising from the seasonal nature of gardening and the enhanced use of the garden for leisure based activities.

'To address these changes, the current proposal seeks to allow for an increase in the floorspace necessary to accommodate a number of the proposed new concessions.

'The garden centre hoped to accommodate concessions such as kids clothing and footwear.'

However, many objectors believed the proposed new concessions are items traditionally sold with a town centre.

Ivybridge town councillor Sylvia Rutley attended a site visit to Endsleigh Garden Centre with members of South Hams Council's development management committee before the planning meeting took place.

Cllr Rutley said her take on the plans was that Endsleigh wanted 'people to come in a coach, spend lots of money, and then leave again'.

The town council previously objected strongly to the application on the grounds of its effect on the vitality of the town centre, among other concerns.

In the town council's objection, it stated: 'Its impact on the vitality and viability of Ivybridge cannot be underestimated with its free car parking and a number of outlets within the site which directly compete with the retail centre.

'The centre is promoted to conferences and community groups using the entrance and exit directly off the car park, without going into the garden centre.

'The size of the restaurant means that it is a destination in its own right, not ancillary to the garden centre, but over the years this trend has occurred, so flexibility has already been given to Endsleigh in this regard.

'Ivybridge has a Town Team which has sought to address the reasons for the decline of the retail centre, and outlets like Endsleigh, are undoubtedly detrimental.

'Even the display and information board to try and promote Ivybridge is often cov-ered up by other in-store promotional material/products or inaccessible to people wanting leaflets about the town.'

It added: 'The 2013 Ivybridge Town Centre Retail and Leisure Study draws attention to the need for protection of the town centre and outlines how this should be achieved.

'It proposes that any out-of-town developments should be of a scale which is not out of proportion with retail unit sizes in the town. Ermington Parish Council also objected because, it says, there is no justification for the expansion, the application is designed to confuse, it's not an outdoor shopping centre and because of its impact on Ivybridge Town Centre.

D2 Planning, on behalf of Glanvilles Mill Shopping Centre, sent an objection letter to South Hams Council.

It said: 'It is apparent that the application is in reality seeking to expand the floor area given over to those goods not traditionally associated with a garden centre, e.g clothes and footwear.

'Such goods are more traditionally sold within a town centre.

'Glanvilles Mill Shopping Centre is a purpose built shopping centre anchored by a Co-opb foodstore.

'In addition there are 27 retail units, first floor offices and five residential flats.'