Plans revealed for fourth store
PLANS for a fourth supermarket for St Austell have been tabled this week, the Cornish Guardian can reveal.
Westcountry Land Ltd is behind a £100 million proposal for a supermarket, about 400 houses – of which 120 would be affordable – with open space, a small hotel, car park and petrol station.
The development would be on greenfield land at Higher Trewhiddle Farm, off Trewhiddle Road.
Westcountry Land has said its Section 106 contributions – used to offset the impact of large-scale developments – would add £750,000 to the town's education and healthcare coffers.
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To offset impacts on infrastructure, the scheme would also include a link road connecting Truro Road and Pentewan Road, to relieve congestion.
There would also be direct links to Pondhu Primary School and the Cornwall Council offices, the company said.
It said this would create more than 500 jobs if successful.
St Austell Bay Chamber of Commerce has branded it a possible "alternative to Coyte Farm."
"Westcountry Land's holistic masterplanning delivers truly sustainable development. People can live, learn, work and shop all in one place," said director John Schuttkacker. "We are committed to this development as it is the most viable and immediately deliverable solution for St Austell."
He said funding has already been secured and a planning application is due to be submitted by June 2013.
"Before we do that, we are keen to engage with adjacent landowners, stakeholders and residents in order that we evolve the scheme that best suits their needs," he added.
At just 300m from the town centre, St Austell Bay Chamber of Commerce chairman Tom French said that this development would have far less impact on trade than the out-of-town site at Coyte Farm.
"It's a much more realistic alternative to Coyte Farm. It avoids all the pitfalls," he said.
"The chamber is likely to support, in principle, the housing and much smaller retail elements in this scheme because it's unlikely to destroy the town centre."
Mr French added that the nearby Trewhiddle House site has the potential to become a small retail development in the future.
And Mike Coles, from competing developer Broadley Park Properties, said this week that he supports the Trewhiddle development.
"I think the people of St Austell will support their open approach, and I shall work with them to deliver the best outcome for the town," he said.
"Clearly they have work to do, and need to ensure they consult more openly and widely than some others have."
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