LISKEARD Town Council has agreed to support an employment development at Tencreek Farm – but members of the council say their support is conditional on the developer fulfilling certain expectations.

The Tencreek Farm site, where a large number of new houses are also planned, lies within the parish of Menheniot, whose council has objected to the housing plans and declined to support the employment scheme.

Liskeard’s council say that the scheme will bring “long-awaited” employment units to the town, but they have a number of concerns and seek reassurance from Cornwall Council that conditions will be placed upon developer Wilton Homes.

Given its position on the outskirts of Liskeard, the Town Council says that a retail assessment should be carried out to ascertain the impact on local business, and that a contribution should be made by the developer toward the ‘vitality and viability’ of the town centre. Councillors would also like to see signs on the development promoting local attractions such as the museum and Stuart House.

The Council wants to make sure that the employment units at the out-of-town site are limited to B1 (offices and light industry appropriate to a residential area) and say that retail and the sale of food and drink must be limited. Within the second phase of the scheme, B2 (industrial/manufacturing) and B8 (storage and distribution) would be permitted.

Liskeard Town Council is concerned that the 40 parking spaces allocated for the drive-through restaurant may not be enough – as they say people tend to buy their food and then park up to eat it. They also want to know what measures will be taken to prevent the increase in litter associated with fast food places.

The site must be well connected to the town by public transport, cycle and footpaths, says the town’s planning committee, and the Council would be seeking a contribution toward its Active Travel project.

Finally the Council want Cornwall’s planning officers to ensure that the employment area is well-screened from the future housing development – and that Japanese Knotweed, known to be present at the site, is dealt with.