Three-way battle over Wadebridge store

A vision of Sainsbury's store, but its plans are up against Tesco and Morrisons

A battle by supermarkets Sainsbury's, Tesco and Morrisons in Wadebridge is to be decided on 24 January.

A Co-Op and a Lidl are already in the town, but Tesco, which has a store on West Hill, wants to expand.

Sainsbury's wants to build a supermarket on the former North Cornwall District Council site just out of town at Higher Trenant.

And Morrisons wants to build a supermarket nearby on the site of the local football club's training ground.

The battle has led to the creation of a protest group, Love Wadebridge.

It wants none of the developments which it says will adversely affect the small independent traders, which the town prides itself on.

Smallholder Stephen Frankel, who helped create Love Wadebridge, said: "We want Wadebridge to be an exemplar of the low carbon economy.

"But you can't have a sustainable future if your town is surrounded by supermarkets that bring in food from abroad."

Cornwall Council planners have recommended that Tesco and Sainsbury's plans get the go-ahead.

A decision will be made on Monday at a meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee.

Jobs promise

Liberal Democrat councillor Jeremy Rowe said: "There is a mass of independent shops in Wadebridge and it is one of the few markets towns around like this.

"Every example of out of town supermarkets has a massive detrimental effect on the town centres.

"Why on earth would be want to do the same in Wadebridge?"

He added: "We should be helping Wadebridge to retain its diversity instead of turning it into yet another town encircled by supermarkets."

All the supermarkets say their plans mean new jobs.

Tesco says a bigger store will be a "boost" for Wadebridge by encouraging people to stay in the town for their shopping.

Sainsbury's says that its store will "both improve customer choice and better meet demand locally" and create 60 full time jobs and 210 part time jobs.

Morrisons says its store will "invigorate the town", offering shoppers more choice and attract new shoppers to the town.