MYSTERY surrounds a planning application for a major new supermarket after the company involved this week appeared to abandon its interest – for the present, at least.
Discount supermarket Aldi submitted a planning application to Caradon District Council last year, seeking permission to build on Charter Way in Liskeard.
The application is due to go before the council's planning committee in late October or early November. However, Aldi bosses this week confirmed that it currently has no interest in developing in Liskeard.
A Caradon spokeswoman said it was 'not unusual' for developers of major projects to withdraw their plan without formally telling the council.
Earlier this week an Aldi spokesperson said: 'We're not interested (in Liskeard) at this time.'
In a follow-up statement, Aldi said: 'We cannot make any further comment at this stage. There may be no further announcement for two months, maybe more.'
The planning application to build a foodstore near Liskeard Community Hospital was recommended for refusal by members of Liskeard Town Council.
Caradon's Economic and Leisure portfolio holder Edwina Hannaford said: 'I'm not against competition but I very much agree with the Town Council that the store would have been in the wrong location.
'Having the shop in the town centre would have provided support to smaller businesses by attracting shoppers into the centre of Liskeard.'
John Goldsworthy, member of the Liskeard Town Forum added: 'I think another store based on the outskirts of the town would provide healthy competition to other stores like Morrisons.'
Meanwhile, the Co-operative Group this week confirmed plans to take over Somerfield stores were ongoing.
If given the go-ahead the company would own two major stores in the town, the Co-op on Barras Street and Somerfield on Pondbridge Hill.
n Meanwhile a new discount supermarket opens tomorrow when Lidl starts trading in Saltash.
TOM KING