BENTS Garden and Home will reopen its doors to the main garden centre from Thursday (May 14) following the latest government guidelines.

The re-opening will follow strict social distancing rules, allowing customers to once again shop for plants, flowers and products for their garden and home.

The Bent family and its team of colleagues have been working hard to ensure the new plans will provide safe and secure surroundings, whilst continuing to offer the friendly, family environment that the Centre is known for.

Matthew Bent, managing director at Bents Garden & Home, said: “Thanks to a lot of hard work by our great team of colleagues we have been able to put measures in place to ensure we can re-open as safely as possible. As the HTA have pointed out, garden centres benefit from large physical layouts with lots of open-air spaces, which is something we believe will help build customers’ confidence in returning to our industry.”

Building on the success of Bents’ Food Store, which has been able to remain open throughout the lockdown period, the main Centre will follow similarly rigorous safety steps which will include:

• Controlled car parking, with parking only allowed in alternate bays.

• Only two entrances will be open to the public, via the Food Store and the Centre’s main entrance, where our friendly security guards will be on hand to provide each customer with a cleaned trolley and an explanation as to the new store layout.

• A controlled number of customers allowed in store at any one time. This will be monitored by the number of trolleys available. Every customer will be required to take a trolley, which will not only indicate and control numbers in store, but will also help with social distancing rules.

• Cleaning stations will also be provided for customers own use and clear signage will indicate a strict one-way route around the store. Customers will also be encouraged to use contactless payment whenever possible.

These measures are in addition to the stringent deep cleaning processes that were introduced prior to lockdown. Replenishment of all stock will only take place out of hours to minimise interaction in store and whilst the majority of departments will be open, limitations will be in place in relation to certain areas such as changing rooms and toilets which will only be open for emergencies.

The Centre’s popular dining destinations will remain closed at this time as will attractions such as the children’s play area, indoor beach and adventure golf course.

Matthew added: “We are looking forward to a time when we can re-open our restaurants and other attractions, but for now we are delighted to be able to open the doors to the Centre and welcome back our customers and colleagues.”

The Food Store will continue to operate, providing the local community with a vital resource. Bents has also introduced a number of pre-made food boxes, including every day essentials and a range of fresh meats. These can be ordered both online and over the phone, making it easier for the elderly, who might not have access to the internet, to place orders for local home delivery or click and collect.