PLANS to build a major new supermarket were rejected by councillors after a lengthy planning meeting on Wednesday night.

The Sainsbury's application formed one of two bids that heavily relied on the success of the other.

The application for a new store was considered alongside plans for a new sports facility at Carkeel landfill site, Saltash, and centred around a new full-size floodlit pitch that would replace Kimberley Stadium on Callington Road, the current home of Saltash AFC.

Planning consultant Nigel Jarvis outlined the officers concerns with the plans which included poor transport links.

He said: 'Currently access to the site at Carkeel is limited with the only road access being through an industrial estate.'

Development control officer David Groves added: 'Access to this site is poor and for that reason I would turn down this single application.'

Councillors voted to defer a decision until the second application had been heard.

Sarah Hawkins, regional director of White Young Green Planning, addressed the chamber on behalf of Sainsbury's and stated that there was a real need for these plans to go ahead.

She said: 'We found that about 1,200 people a day were leaving Saltash to do their shopping and having a new store would draw people to the town.

Football

'Many people were keen to have a new store in the town.'

Cllr Adam Killeya was quick to point out that this was not an objection to a new store but an objection to a new store on this site and that previous consultations had not included a question about the use of the Kimberley Stadium site.

Cllr Andrew Long added that football was a central part of the community and needed to remain central so that it remains accessible.

Jim Ross from the Saltash objectors addressed the councillors saying: 'We have had more than 2,000 letters of objection to this proposal.

'The loss of this green space would have an adverse effect on the community and the impact on the town centre cannot be overstated.

'As far as the application at Carkeel is concerned, the environmental impact would be severe and we urge the council to refuse this application as well.'

Councillors then voted with ten voting to refuse the application which resulted in an almost unanimous decision to refuse the development at Carkeel.

Giants

After the meeting, Ms Hawkins said: 'We are obviously very disappointed and we will be reviewing our options.'

Mr Ross added: 'It's very much like David and Goliath and it's nice to see that the common man can defeat the giants if we work together.'

n Councillors later voted to approve plans for an Aldi development in Liskeard.

Their decision will now be passed on to an independent planning inspector who will look at the application in detail.