Mayor accuses council of 'selling off family silver'

CIVIC chiefs have been accused of "selling off the family silver" as the Cornish Guardian can exclusively reveal supermarket giant Sainsbury's is looking at a site in Liskeard for a potential new store.

Cornwall Council has confirmed the chain is interested in the former Caradon District Council headquarters at Luxstowe House on Greenbank Road.

Last month the Cornish Guardian revealed Sainsbury's was in advanced discussions to acquire the former North Cornwall District Council headquarters to build a store and replacement offices for the East Cornwall division of the new unitary council.

Now the authority has confirmed talks have been held to purchase former district council offices in St Austell and Penzance.

Strengthening

A council spokesperson said: "The council is aware of Sainsbury's interest in strengthening their presence in Cornwall and they are continuing to look at appropriate land across the county to suit their business aims.

"Several of the targeted areas involve land that now is owned by Cornwall Council and the Higher Trenant office in Wadebridge is an example where the council has been notified of this interest.

"In informal discussions other potential sites have been mentioned and council owned land in St Austell, Penzance and Liskeard could be targets for development.

"It is important to stress, however, that the council has not made any decisions to sell any of its sites at the current time, although it is good practice to rationalise offices across the new combined estate as part of the development of the new unitary council."

Currently, Luxstowe House is home to Cornwall Council's local One Stop Shops. If the building was sold, suitable facilities would need to be found elsewhere in the town.

Mayor-elect of Liskeard Cllr Tony Powell, who will be sworn in at a ceremony next Wednesday, said: "While I can understand the interest Sainsbury's might have in the old district office site I hope that this is not an example of Cornwall Council attempting to sell off the family silver to boost its own depleted coffers.

"Any community benefit from a retail development involving a company of Sainsbury's stature would be expected to attract a benefit of over £1 million, all of which I would expect to be targeting at the redevelopment of the town and nothing else.

"Liskeard has many needs and it is to be hoped and expected that Cornwall Council will engage with the town council at a very early stage if it is intended to take this forward."

Liskeard currently has three national chain supermarkets, Morrisons, Somerfield and Co-op, and discount store Aldi is due to move in after it gained permission for a shop at the Vospers site on Charter Way through a planning appeal.

A Sainsbury's spokesperson did not deny the company was looking at a site in Liskeard but said it was not one of their main focuses at this current time: "Sainsbury's is considering opportunities to invest in Cornwall and make our offer of a quality weekly shop more available. While we are speaking to a number of landowners as part of this process, we are currently focused on bringing forward proposals for medium sized food stores in Wadebridge and Hayle."

Sainsbury's is due to open in Torpoint next month after acquiring the store from the Co-op who bought out Somerfield in March.

Work is currently under way at the shop on Antony Road and about 30 jobs will be created.