THE plan to build a Tesco at Saltash has been given the go-ahead by Cornwall Council.

It has taken two years of consultations and amendments, including improvements to access, because of the store's close proximity to the busy A38 roundabout at Carkeel, to finally get full planning permission.

Councillors approved the plan in line with the recommendation of planning officer Lyndon Westlake but with some changes to conditions. The restriction on the selling of electrical goods has been replaced with a restriction on selling white goods, and there is now a requirement that the external lighting and illuminated signage is turned off an hour before the store closes. An additional condition is that the external materials of the structure to house an ATM (cash machine), match the external materials of the proposed foodstore. Town mayor Colin Oakes said: 'It was inevitable that another supermarket would eventually come to Saltash. We had interest shown by Sainsbury's a couple of years ago, and if not Tesco, then it would probably have been Morrisons. It was always on the cards.

'I think that local people who shop at Tesco and go to Transit Way in Plymouth or Lee Mill, will now stay in Saltash which will be better for the town in the long run.'

A strong objection to the plan had been lodged by the Co-operative Group which has a store in the town centre.

A spokesperson said: 'While we welcome competition and choice for shoppers, we are adamantly objecting to this proposal from Tesco, as the vitality and viability of Saltash town centre would be seriously threatened.

'Cornwall Council has already recognised that there will be an impact to the town centre and has stipulated that Tesco would have to to mitigate this. However, our studies show that this would not go far enough in protecting the interests of the existing traders, and ultimately the result would be that Saltash town centre would fall into decline.'