We don't want bigger Tesco!

Over 20 residents of the town ignored the unpleasant weather to attend a meeting at the Guildhall and show their strength of feeling against a planning application by the supermarket giant, which has applied for permission to increase the shopping area of its Clodgey Way store from the current 2,368 square metres to 4,639 square metres.

It also plans to introduce a raised, mezzanine level area, which would site a cafe for the general public and staff room facilities.

Residents who spoke were unanimously against the plans when they came before Helston town councillors last Thursday.

One of the main objections was the fear over increased noise - particularly from residents of Falmouth Road, who were afraid that Tesco's proposal to "flip" the store from the south side of the site to the north side, to reduce its effect on the Clodgey Lane residents, would merely be moving the problem rather than solving it.

Albert Clemo, from Falmouth Road, said: "We are concerned as to what they're going to do about this."

He also said it was "disappointing" that nobody from Tesco had attended the meeting to answer the residents' questions.

Martine Knight, a resident of Clodgey Lane, agreed: "I have every sympathy with people in Falmouth Road because yes, you will get trouble - because we have had it for the past 13 years. Despite everything that Tesco has said and claims to have done, it hasn't done a jot of difference and our lives have been pretty miserable because of it."

She questioned why Tesco did not put in an entrance from the new relief road that had been built around the outskirts of the town near Bosnoweth, adding: "It absolutely beggars belief."

Mrs Knight also feared that, although deliveries were currently restricted to daylight hours, this would change with an increase of store size resulting in more deliveries.

Meanwhile Chris Knight said: "The town is already dying. The last thing we need is for people to by everything from a big store."

Betty Pascoe, from Falmouth Road, raised the point that Helston was an historic market town and she was afraid that it would lose its history, with a larger supermarket being to the detriment of the town's smaller shops - particularly the local food producers, who needed outlets to sell their produce.

Mrs Pascoe, a member of the Old Cornwall Society, said: "I consider the plan to be alien to the ethos of the town, where we consider our environment and our heritage."

Following the public participation section of the meeting, members of the planning committee then gave their thoughts on the application.

Councillor Keith Reynolds told members that he had received seven letters of objection from members of the public. More are likely to have been sent directly to Kerrier district council's planning committee, which will make the final decision on whether to grant planning permission.

Mr Reynolds said that while the store was increasing by 102 per cent, the car park area would only increase by 22 per cent, due to government policy.

He added that an independent traffic survey carried out by Pinnacle Transport, on behalf of Tesco, had concluded that there would be "sufficient capacity" for traffic to move around the area up to 2013, with or without the development of the store.

However, Mr Reynolds said: "I am not minded to agree with that and I do not think that is correct. The traffic in Clodgey Lane, with the increase in customers and large vehicles, is going to have a detrimental effect on the residents of the area."

He described the idea put forward by some of the residents, for an entrance to be put in from the relief road, as "very sensible" and one that he was "strongly in favour of." He added: "That would reduce a significant amount of traffic."

Councillor Niall Devenish said: "I don't think that the display and layout of this particular store is really going to do any favours for anybody in the area. It's just moving the problem from one area of the site to another area. I'm concerned as well that with the extra landscaping and increased floodlighting it's going to become far more visible within the town. I have grave reservations about the layout and detrimental effect to the town and I feel we have to make a stand here."

Members agreed to ask the Kerrier district councillors who were to make the final decision to attend a site meeting at the current store and see for themselves the effect the development would have on the area. In the meantime, the Helston councillors would also ask for the idea of an entrance from the relief road to be reconsidered.

n Tesco has finally clarified that the latest planning application submitted is not for a Tesco Extra store, but merely for a larger store. The issue has provoked extreme confusion in the town, with Tesco spokesman Felix Gummer previously being quoted in the Packet as saying the application was not for a Tesco Extra, but planning drawings being shown to councillors indicating a Tesco Extra sign above the door.

Mr Gummer has now confirmed to the Packet that, as previously reported, the application is not for a Tesco Extra store. He suggested that the appearance of the Extra sign on drawings could either be due to an oversight on behalf of Tesco or the councillors, who he suggested may have been looking at previous drawings submitted by Tesco in 2005 - for a Tesco Extra store.