SAINSBURY’S has announced plans to build a brand-new supermarket at Ponsharden in Falmouth.

The retailer has been discussing its proposals with Cornwall Council’s planning department and it is preparing to submit a planning application for a sensitively designed scheme. If approved, the new store would replace its current Falmouth Superstore.

In advance of this, an engagement event is taking place in the car park of Sainsbury’s Falmouth today (Tuesday, June 3, from 3pm). The project team will provide an overview of the proposals, which will create approximately 100 new jobs and bring a multimillion-pound investment to Falmouth and Penryn if plans go ahead.

The site identified for the new Sainsbury’s store has been vacant for many years. The brownfield land is owned by the retailer and is next to its current supermarket off Falmouth Road.

The proposed replacement store will be more than twice the size of the original, with improved accessibility and sustainability credentials.

It will also feature the brands of Argos, in the form of a new store-in-store, Tu Clothing and Habitat as well as a new Smart Charge EV charging hub and three-pump petrol station in the car park.

Once the new store is open, Sainsbury’s plans for the current store, car park and adjacent Ponsharden industrial units would be redeveloped to deliver new housing in the area.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s chief property and procurement officer and managing director of smart charge, said: “We’re delighted to share these exciting proposals for a replacement Sainsbury’s store in Ponsharden, which we believe will provide a range of substantial benefits to our customers, colleagues and the wider community.

“If our plans are approved, this would represent one of the largest new supermarkets we’ve opened in the UK for years, demonstrating our confidence in Falmouth and Penryn as a key area of investment for Sainsbury’s. We look forward to hearing the community’s feedback on our plans and to taking the next steps towards delivering them in the coming weeks.”