Fowey to get first supermarket after plans approved

The Co-op is set to open its first store in Fowey

A town in Cornwall is set to get its first supermarket after councillors granted planning permission.

Fowey will be the new location for a Co-op store with plans to build it on land at Polscoe.

The proposal received approval from Cornwall Council's sub-area planning committee on Monday despite an objection from Fowey Town Council.

The town council was concerned about the potential impact on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Councillors voted nine votes in favour and two against, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Andy Virr, supporting the plans, said Fowey currently only had a small grocer's shop and a butcher.

He said the need for a bigger shop would increase due to the number of new homes in the area.

"Does Fowey need a supermarket? I would say a firm yes, we have a population of 2,500 and there is a very limited offering in the town," he said.

Mr Virr said there was also no viable alternative site for a supermarket in Fowey and a brownfield alternative put forward by some objectors was not for sale.

He said "the whole of Fowey" was in the AONB and that this should not prevent development from going ahead.

Councillor John Fitter said most people in Fowey travelled to St Austell for a "big shop" and a closer supermarket would cut down on journeys.

He added: "This isn't going to be carving out a piece of Fowey - it will not be damaged in any way by having this built on the outskirts of the town."

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