Letter of the week - So, where exactly is Liskeard?

Congratulations to Caradon Planning Committee for having the good sense to turn down the planning permission for the extension to the Safeway store which has done so much to decimate Liskeard and local businesses.

There were also comments regarding the loss of the butcher's shop in East Looe, together with views from those who favour Tesco's moving to Looe and those who oppose.

I have no problem with Tesco, but any superstore must be sited in a large enough conurbation to enable the local economy to regenerate itself. Liskeard has become a derelict town full of charity shops and empty premises.

Imagine what will happen to Looe which has even less potential than Liskeard. Do the people of Looe really want to lose the charm of a busy street full of traders? And what of the local people who supply the shops? All the supermarkets charge exorbitantly high prices for fruit and veg and have little or no commitment to local economy. Foreign produce often replaces locally-grown items, leaving the Cornish farmer either without an outlet or at the mercy of these big suppliers who demand low prices so that they can boost their profits.

The same is true of the butchery trade. One of the butchers said, 'people would rather go to Safeway'. Well, in my opinion, the difference in meat bought from the butcher and that from the supermarket is considerable. I wonder how many readers have found this out.

No, biggest is not best and we all need to think what we want for the good of our community, not just ourselves. The talk of job creation is largely a myth. How many employees in Liskeard lost their jobs or businesses as a result of Safeway?

I long to see Liskeard as a busy thriving market town, but I fear that it is a dream and that I shall continue to be embarrassed when visitors ask me where the town is. You are in it, I say.

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