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Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 16:54
Lidl has purchased the current police station off Priory Road and hopes to start work developing the site once the new multi-million pound police headquarters off Cooksland Industrial Estate is built.
The company says the new store would provide up to 30 new jobs.
A planning application to North Cornwall District Council will be submitted before the end of the year.
Under the proposals, the present police station will be demolished and a store roughly the size of the Wadebridge branch of Lidl will replace it.
Oliver McGuinness, Lidl's development executive for the South West, said the company had wanted to move into Bodmin for a number of years.
"Bodmin has always been a town we have been interested in, and we've spent the past four years or so talking to the police authority about acquiring the police station site.
"Now that it has finally become available, we have purchased the building and the money we paid for it has helped pay for the new police station currently under construction," said Mr McGuinness.
He believed even though Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys were established in the town, Lidl would attract a lot of shoppers.
"There's room for Lidl because unlike the others, we are a specialist discount retailer, and obviously because of the current economic climate, more and more people are becoming attracted to what we are offering.
"We will also be within walking distance of the town centre, which we feel will help keep shoppers in the town, so Bodmin's potential for us is excellent." Bodmin and District Chamber of Commerce chairman Chris Wilkes believed Lidl moving in would be good for the town.
"Broadly speaking, anything that brings in new jobs and will widen the retail appeal of Bodmin is welcomed, because I don't think what they offer will be at the expense of the other stores," he said.
Lidl is one of the fastest growing grocery retailers in the UK, with 380 stores now operating.
Locally, it has stores in Wadebridge, Launceston, St Austell and another about to open in Saltash.
Bodmin Police Station site could be bought by store Lidl. Photo by Peter Glaser
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