A rapidly growing Penryn business is celebrating its fifth anniversary by taking centre stage in the creation of an impressive new "gateway" to the town.

The Anchor Quay project, involving the restoration of the historic Anchor Ware-house and construction of new waterside properties, is now all but complete.

And the final piece in the jigsaw will be the move next month into new offices in the Swingbridge House section of the development by Heather and Lay Property Letting.

The company will take up the entire 1,600 sq ft ground floor of the new high profile building that fronts the A39 road through the town.

The new base will be five times larger than Heather and Lay's present premises in Lower Market Street and the company will be recruiting extra staff for its enhanced service and anticipated continued growth in demand.

The big move is doubly notable as the company is currently managing more than 30 of the Anchor Quay apartments.

Since the property letting business began in 2002, director Paul Beevers has presided over a success story that has seen the number of properties managed grow from a standing start to the current level of more than 350, spread over a wide area of west Cornwall.

The business now employs eight people and has outgrown its Lower Market Street premises. "We are thrilled to be so centrally involved in Anchor Quay, which is a hugely exciting scheme and has undoubtedly created an outstanding new gateway to the town of Penryn," said Mr Beevers.

Heather and Lay's Lower Market Street premises will now revert to an estate agency - its previous role before closing for a year prior to the establishment of the property letting business.

The £12 million Anchor Quay facelift for the 1.5-acre site that dominates the southern entrance to Penryn has been carried out as a joint venture by Harbour Village Ltd and Highgrove Homes (South West) Ltd.

The Grade II listed Anchor Warehouse, dating back to 1843 and previously derelict for a quarter of a century, has been restored and converted into nine luxury apartments. The project has also involved construction of 60 new waterside apartments.