The innovative project is a partnership between Cornwall Council, the Duchy of Cornwall, Waitrose and local food producer group The Taste of Cornwall.
It aims to be a national exemplar of how to build an integrated, well designed and sustainable scheme that meets a range of local needs by combining uses on one site.
It would create a new concept in food retailing by having a small Waitrose store and a Cornish food hall in one building, and a demonstration kitchen garden.
Called the Truro Eastern District Centre, the scheme would:
• Cut traffic from the East of Truro by 15% every day
• Create around 210 jobs
• Generate £6m-£8m in additional sales for local food producers
• Meet urgent local housing need
• Plant 6,000 new trees
The planning application has been made jointly by the Duchy of Cornwall, Cornwall Council and Waitrose on 19 hectares of Duchy and Council-owned land at the junction of the A39 Newquay road from the North and the A390 St Austell road from the East.
It follows extensive public consultation that has engaged with thousands of local people over the last two years and shows widespread support for the scheme. Three quarters of people surveyed said they thought it would benefit Cornwall, while 80% of people who attended an exhibition in Truro in March said they supported it.
The planning application is the culmination of more than six years of discussions about how best to combine a number of uses on one site.
Waitrose Director of Development, Nigel Keen, said: "Waitrose has wanted to come to Truro for a very long time and we welcomed the opportunity to be part of a project we believe can deliver long-term benefits to the City. Providing local farmers and growers with the chance to develop their business remains an integral part of our ethos and working together with the Taste of Cornwall, we want to see Cornish producers flourish. However, we also want to play our part in maintaining a vibrant city centre - the choice of shops, which make it such an attractive retail destination, is an important part of why we want to open here."
Elwyn Jones, chairman of The Taste of Cornwall, said: “We want to create a showcase for Cornish produce that will benefit enormously by co-locating with a range of other uses on the same site and generate millions of pounds of additional sales for local producers.”
Graeme Hicks, Cornwall Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “The proposed extended park and ride service would remove vehicles from the highway during peak hours and throughout the day and provide easy access into the city centre as well as a regular service to key points throughout the city.”
Julian German, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Waste Management said: “The proposed Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) would remove the need for a 16-mile round trip to United mines for Truro residents and bring the travel time to the nearest HWRC for residents from the Roseland to under 30 minutes, helping to increase recycling in the area”.
Tim Gray, Estate Surveyor to the Duchy of Cornwall, said: “When we were first approached about whether we could make our land available we recognised the potential to create something really special for Truro that would put sustainability first. By helping to reduce food miles as well as car journeys into the City centre we can contribute towards a greener Truro. That’s what this application is all about.
“We have been hugely encouraged by the very positive public response to these plans, which local people have helped shape, and if approved we believe it could be a useful benchmark of how to build an integrated, beautifully designed and intelligently conceived scheme.”
The project would deliver the second phase of Cornwall Council’s bus-based park and ride strategy for Truro with 1,379 long-stay parking spaces. This will cut 15% of traffic entering Truro from the East every day and complement the successful first phase of the park and ride to the west.
The Cornish Food Centre would create around 200 jobs and generate between £6 million and £8 million of additional sales for local producers each year. It will be linked to a demonstration kitchen garden nearby and there will be community allotments. Around 10 further jobs would be created elsewhere on site.
The 97 new homes (plus a lodge house) will be a combination of houses and apartments including 35% affordable homes in accordance with Cornwall Council’s policy. These 34 homes will be provided by the Duchy despite the loss of social housing grant. They will be built using local materials including Cornish slate and granite and be highly energy efficient.
The household waste recycling centre would encourage combined trips to the site and provide a much-needed facility for Truro as the nearest currently involves a 16-mile round trip.
There will be a biomass energy centre providing low-carbon electricity and heating for the store, homes and the park and ride hub building, and more than 6,000 trees will be planted across the site, including a range of nut and fruit varieties, creating a productive orchard.
It is estimated that the scheme will save 60% of the carbon emissions that would be produced if each element of the scheme was located separately.
A detailed drainage strategy includes provision for a one in 100 year rainfall event and would prevent any increased risk of downstream flooding, and a green buffer zone around the site offered to the local community would prevent further development in the valley below.
The planning application will now be the subject of formal consultation before being considered by Cornwall Council.
If approved then work would start on the park and ride and household waste recycling centre in early 2012. The Cornish Food Centre would be built later in 2012 and the new homes would be started in 2013 and completed by 2015.
Truro Eastern District Centre factfile:
• 19.47 hectare area (2.76 hectares of housing)
• 1379 parking spaces at new park and ride
• 15% reduction in traffic entering Truro from the east
• 2,000 sq metre Cornish Food Centre comprising Waitrose (1,500 sq metres) and The Taste of Cornwall (500 sq metres)
• Around 210 new jobs created
• 97 houses and apartments (plus a lodge house), delivering 34 affordable homes (35%) in accordance with Cornwall Council’s policy
• Biomass energy centre providing low-carbon electricity and heating for the store, homes and park and ride hub building
• Household Waste Recycling Centre to deliver an important local facility
• More than 6,000 new trees to be planted
• Demonstration garden
• Allotment gardens for residents
• Green buffer owned by community to prevent any further development from the site
• Around 190,000 kg of carbon dioxide emission saved annually
For more information including a detailed Q&A about the scheme and a summary of the planning application, visit www.truroedc.co.uk.
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