DOUBTS have been raised about ambitious plans to move Truro City Football Club to a new home and redevelop the current ground.

Club chairman and property developer Kevin Heaney has announced plans to build offices and a supermarket on the site at Treyew Road.

The intention was to ground-share with Falmouth Town for a season starting in 2011 while a new ground is built at Polwhele Farm, Penmount. No planning application has been submitted for either of the schemes yet.

But documents uncovered by the West Briton show current outline planning permission to build offices on the ground was granted in 2007 on the condition that a new ground was built before redevelopment started.

The reason states: "To ensure that there is no net loss of sports facilities within the city" in line with the Cornwall Structure Plan.

The policy also says "development should not harm visitor facilities or other features that contribute to Cornwall's attraction for tourism and recreation", adding that recreation facilities are a "major resource" for the local economy and any "development should not dilute or undermine the value of these assets, for example…through adverse effects on facilities and attractions that visitors and residents enjoy".

It can also be revealed that the outline permission expires in April this year.

Mr Heaney's current plans would mean ground-sharing with Falmouth Town while the development goes ahead, a temporary loss of facilities for Truro.

If the same condition is imposed by the council if a new planning application is approved, the ground-share may not be acceptable.

On his way to a match on Tuesday afternoon Mr Heaney told the West Briton: "Truro City won't be moving anywhere unless at the same time we are building our new facility."

A spokeswoman for the council said: "Should a new application for the development of the site be submitted which involves the loss of the football facility then, as in 2007, the loss of this facility would be an important material consideration for the council to consider.

"A possible outcome of this consideration may be the imposition of a similar condition to that set out before." She added that if a developer wanted to change the conditions on the 2007 application to build four three-storey office blocks, it "would need to be formally submitted to the council for it to consider and determine following the required publicising and consultation of the proposal".

'Plan is to relocate'

She said: "No formal alternative has been submitted to the council to date."

Mr Heaney also said: "The plan is to relocate the club to 25 acres at Polwhele Farm where I have an option on the land.

"We have got 26 teams which we need to cater for and it's ridiculous we don't have our own training facilities. The investment income (from Treyew Road) will be used to run the club.

"We will not leave Treyew Road until all the funds are in place.

"I will have to take on loans to cover the cost of the new ground which will run into millions.

"I want to do the best I can for Truro City Football Club."

PLANS to build a supermarket and offices on the Truro City FC ground have been branded "pie in the sky talk" by visitors to the West Briton's website.

Commenting on the original story about the development plans on www.thisiscornwall.co.uk readers have described the plans as a smoke screen, with a Falmouth Town supporter adding: "How risky is it for Truro to allow their ground to be disposed of before having an alternative in place?

"Could be the beginning of the end for both clubs."

But another online user argued: "Plenty of clubs have ground-shared in the past. It's a good way for Falmouth to get some extra cash, and a few miles down the road is hardly going to make much difference to Truro for one year."

Connor from Truro said Kevin Heaney is "playing a bluff hand so he can develop Treyew, make a mint and walk away".

Roger from Trebah said: "If you look behind the ridiculous headline claims that Heaney's making, it's clear that he's about as close to any of this happening as the moon. There are just too many obstacles, the prime one being the man himself", while Colin from Carnon Downs said: "I don't think anyone should be worrying much about all this.

"It's actually not feasible, and involves so many ifs, buts and maybes that we should probably only start getting worried over after hell freezes over."