Business leaders and figures from the sports world have signed an open letter to Cornwall Council, urging it not kill off the Stadium for Cornwall by approving a plan for a supermarket to the west of Truro when the committee meets this week.
The letter requests that members defer any decision until such a time as an application for an enabling development that would fund the construction of the stadium can be considered. That application has been submitted to Cornwall Council by Inox Group.
The letter has been signed by a number of people from the worlds of sport, business and education in the hope that members may give the Stadium for Cornwall the chance it deserves to succeed, including A&P Falmouth MD, Peter Child, Datasharp UK MD, Jane Cockcroft, and RFU chairman, Bill Beaumont.
Open letter to all members of Cornwall Council – 19th September 2014
Dear Councillor,
Ref: Truro supermarket planning applications and the Stadium for Cornwall
Cornwall Council’s Strategic Planning Committee is due to consider three separate planning applications (PA13/10454; PA14/00226 and PA14/00703) for the west of Truro at an extraordinary meeting on Friday 26th September. Each application includes a supermarket.
You may be aware that a fourth supermarket-led application has recently been submitted in the same area by Inox Group for the express purpose of solely funding the construction of the Stadium for Cornwall. Inox has detailed planning permission for the Stadium at Langarth.
Inox has publicly committed to signing a Section 106 agreement to ring-fence the proceeds from this development for the construction of the Stadium if the scheme is approved. This means a private sector funding solution for the Stadium is finally within reach.
There is however commercial demand for only one more supermarket west of Truro for the foreseeable future. If members approve any of the schemes being put forward on 26th September before having the opportunity to consider the Inox proposal in full, then this once-in-a-lifetime chance to fund the Stadium for Cornwall at no cost to the taxpayer will be lost forever.
We the undersigned are urging members of the Strategic Planning Committee to defer the determination of these applications on 26th September.
We believe your planning officers should give the committee the opportunity to consider all four applications at the same time, and judge them on their merits together.
We are confident that the community benefits of the Inox proposal greatly outweigh those of the other schemes. A Stadium for Cornwall at Langarth would be a jewel in Cornwall’s sporting crown, catering for a variety of sports and community groups, generating year-round benefits, educational opportunities and millions of pounds annually for the local economy.
According to a recent report from the Cornwall Sports Partnership, sport is already worth £156 million to the Cornish economy, employing 6,000 people and representing 2.5% of total employment. Cornwall has the fastest growing sports participation rate nationally, and the 4th highest overall. The Stadium for Cornwall would build on this momentum, helping to inspire new generations of athletes, and with it a positive attitude to health and wellbeing.
All we ask is that councillors have the chance to consider the Inox scheme in tandem with the other supermarket related applications, rather than make a decision next week that would spell the end of Cornwall’s Stadium ambitions, and with it the dreams of so many thousands of its supporters.
Yours sincerely,
Will Ashworth, Managing Director, Watergate Bay Hotel
John Beach, Chairman, Cornish Rebels RLFC
Bill Beaumont, Chairman RFU, ex England RFU Captain, British Lion and Grand Slam Captain
Paul Billing, Director, Whirlwind Sports, Truro
Peter Child, Managing Director, A&P Falmouth
Jane Cockcroft, Managing Director, Data Sharp UK Ltd, Truro
Ian Connell, Chairman, Cornish Pirates RFC
Rob Edlin, Managing Director, Niddocks Ltd, Helston
Mark Etherington, Managing Director, Brian Etherington Meat Co, Redruth
Tim Ferris, Managing Director, Ferris Garage Limited, Feock, Truro
Maureen Fuller, Grand Bard, Gorsedh Kernow
Kevin & Colin Hadfield, Owners, Clear View Finance, Truro
Mark Holden & Justin Barnett, Directors, Inn Cornwall Limited
Giles Horne, Chairman, City of Truro Chamber of Commerce
Jason Keyter, Director, Retallack Resort & Spa, Wadebridge
Rod Lyon, Past Grand Bard, Gorsedh Kernow
Peter Marks, Chairman, Stadium4Cornwall Group
David Martin, RFU Official and Cornwall RFU
Sebastian Parker, Owner, Callestick Farm Cornish Dairy Ice Cream
The Partners of Francis Clark Chartered Accountants, Truro
Toby Parkins, Director, UKNetWeb and HeadForwards, St Agnes and Pool
Clive Pascoe, Managing Director, CAW (Cornwall) Ltd, Threemilestone
Brian Smallworth, Head Coach and General Manager, Cornish Sharks American Football Club
Phil Vickery, Cornwall, England & British Lions rugby player. World Cup winner
David Walrond, Principal, Truro & Penwith College
Stephen Watson, Managing Director, Watson French, Truro
Laura Whyte, Managing Director, Whyfield Limited, Truro
Trevor Woodman, Cornwall, England rugby player. World Cup winner
Tony Wootton, Chairman, Cornish Pirates Supporters Club
Angela Young, Managing Director, Warner Young Management (Live at Heartlands 2014)