A BUSY garden centre overwhelmed by customers "from all over Essex" has put forward plans to expand its car park to allow it to meet demand.

Perrywood Garden Centre, in Tiptree, has submitted blueprints which would see its car park expand by an additional 88 spaces.

A planning statement put forward in support of the application said the expansion is needed to allow the business to "grow, invest and prosper".

It read: "Perrywood is a successful business and it is feared that without an extended car park the business will not be able to meet the demand from potential customers, trade will be lost to other destinations.

"Alternative solutions such as providing overflow parking within the site or at a nearby location are not satisfactory for the reasons set out in this statement but would continue in the absence of any other way to accommodate customers.

"It is considered that the more sustainable solution is to expand the car park with appropriate new surfacing, landscaping and drainage."

The plans include the provision of electric vehicle charging points and disabled spaces.

The application reveals the garden centre has been forced to use an unpaved part of the 4.6ha site, off the B1023, and use its nearby premises as an off-site car park with a minibus service for staff.

But the business fears these alternatives are "inefficient and unreliable", while "also causing occasional frustration on the highway".

The statement continues: "Perrywood Garden Centre is currently at full capacity in terms of car parking and they are therefore unable to accommodate the quantity of customers they are receiving."

The plan involves splitting the 88 spaces across five sections within the site, including a row of 13 spaces on the northern and southern boundaries.

There will be four rows of 11 spaces centrally, split into two sections of 22 and a vertical row of 18 spaces to the eastern boundary.

The statement adds: "The layout of the car park extension will follow a similar approach to the existing car park with car parking spaces orientated in five rows."

Colchester Council will have the final say on the plans.