New Tesco store will stop 30-mile trips for residents
Cornwall Council received 154 public comments on its planning portal concerning the application
Last updated 7 hours ago
Cornwall Council planners have this week approved an application to build a Tesco supermarket, with 161 parking spaces and a petrol filling station in Camelford.
The proposal has been welcomed by the majority of people in the area with a town councillor saying it will reduce the need for people to make 30-mile round trips to the nearest store to do their weekly food shop.
An application was lodged by Tesco last June to build the supermarket, filling station with jet wash, car parking, access road, landscaping, a click and collect facility, service area and associated work on land south of Victoria Road in the town. It was approved on Tuesday (February 24).
Cornwall Council received 154 public comments on its planning portal concerning the application, 109 of which were in support with 40 objecting.
The site previously benefited from planning permission, granted in late 2013, for “development of foodstore, medical centre, three affordable housing units, employment, infrastructure, landscaping, parking and access arrangements”.
The new foodstore will be similar in size to the Tesco store in St Ives and somewhere between the size of the Tesco stores in Padstow and Callington.
A supporting statement by Contour Planning on behalf of Tesco said: “The proposal will provide a much-needed new foodstore of the right size to serve the needs of Camelford residents (and its hinterland) and claw back main food shopping trade which is currently leaving the town.
“The design of the proposed new Tesco store is considered to be of a sufficient size to enable local residents to undertake their main food shopping within the town. This is something which is not presently available, as illustrated by the 95% of residents shopping at supermarkets outside of the town.”
Cllr Rob Rotchell, of Camelford Town Council, welcomed the news. He told us: “This has been a long time coming. Planning permission was granted originally over a decade ago. That was a developer’s proposal and no supermarket picked it up.
“This time Tesco itself decided that there was sufficient demand in the immediate Camelford area to support a store.
“It’s good news – at the moment you’ve got a minimum of a 30-mile round trip to get to a supermarket. There is a choice at Bude, Launceston, Bodmin and Wadebridge – probably the closest would be Wadebridge.
“There are parts of Camelford that are seriously struggling financially and a 30-mile round trip is a gallon of petrol effectively, so the opportunity to access a supermarket on the doorstep is a bonus.”
He said that Tesco has suggested there will be in the region of 100 jobs – a mix of full-time and part-time.
“The other thing we’re optimistic about is its proximity to the town centre – there will be a direct footpath from the supermarket into the centre of Camelford,” added Cllr Rotchell.
“We hope that will draw people in from St Breward, St Teath, Tintagel, Boscastle, etc, not just for the supermarket but the post office, the pubs and restaurants, so boosting footfall into the town.”