Green light for Stadium

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Cornwall Council has granted planning permission for an ‘enabling scheme’ for the Stadium for Cornwall (S4C).

Yesterday, the Council’s strategic planning committee gave its support for a retail development on the edge of Truro which will help bank roll a 6,000-seat stadium.

The committee’s decision went against the advice of its own planning officers.

And it was a close call. A motion to support the officers’ recommendation to refuse the planning application was defeated by ten votes to nine.

A second motion to approve the application was passed by 11 votes to eight.

Supporters for the scheme were naturally delighted at the news. Ian Connell, chairman of the Cornish Pirates, said: “Cornish Pirates are absolutely delighted that we now have consent for S4C. This is a major infrastructure project creating jobs, generating new revenues but importantly adopting the vision for the realisation of ambition. This is a good day.

“From a Pirates perspective, the board can now begin to view the future with clarity over where we will be playing and begin the process to build on our existing great supporter base and to attract new sponsorship incomes.

“We can now plan to progressively build the playing squad to compete at the top end of the Championship, within a facility that can showcase the game as a great spectacle but for our players also to showcase their own individual skills in a perfect setting.

“From a Stadium perspective, we will be working with the other stadium partners to progress the development of the plans that will bring real benefit to the community across the whole of Cornwall.”