THE grateful owner of a garden centre built on a site designated for a controversial housing project has thanked his customers for their support.

There was a public outcry in 2007 when developer Marden Homes submitted plans to build 14 flats on the site, in London Road, Benfleet, which was then home to a series of shops, including a toy store and a garden centre.

People were angry a thriving business area was to be given over to housing.

However, the flats plan was rejected by Castle Point Council and a Government planning inspector at appeal.

Businessman Nick Chalkley said he has received tremendous backing from residents since opening Benfleet Garden and Reclaim on the plot in the autumn.

Mr Chalkley, 42, from Benfleet, said: “We have a steady stream of people coming in and saying how different it looks and how glad they are it’s not flats. Everyone around here is getting fed up all the local businesses disappearing.

“It sometimes feels like the whole of London Road is being turned into houses.

“Whether we’ve had enough support to keep us going in the long term I don’t know, but it’s certainly nice to hear.”

Resident Eileen Peck, of Grasmere Road, wrote to the Echo saying she was pleased the garden centre will be staying put.

She said: “When the young woman in the garden centre told me an application to build new homes on the site had been turned down I was pretty chuffed.”

Mr Chalkley also runs a demolition centre and is using the business to sell off some of the interesting items his firm find on jobs, such as old fire places and radiators.