CAMPAIGNERS battling plans for a supermarket in Camelford are urging people to voice their opposition.
An outline planning application has been submitted by Walker Developments and residents are now being urged to submit their comments before a decision is made.
An event has been organised next week to help those who oppose the plans to write letters and submit their comments to Cornwall Council.
Objectors to the plans say a new store in Victoria Road could have a negative impact on the town and lead to shops closing and jobs being lost.
They also claim that it will cause traffic congestion and bring sound and light pollution.
Michael O'Neill, who has organised Thursday's event, said that while the number of letters of support and objection had been fairly even there were also many people who had not formally made their views known.
He said: "We have a petition with more than 350 signatures which shows the level of opposition to this project. The people who signed the petition are not just those living nearby but also from across the town.
"We now need those who signed the petition to write letters and submit their comments to the council website so we can show the strength of feeling against these plans."
Mr O'Neill also suggested that, while the outline plan includes a medical centre, there was no certainty of that.
He said: "We know there are people who have supported it because they think that having a supermarket is the price to pay for a new medical centre – but there is no guarantee that the centre will be built or that it is needed."
Agents acting on behalf of The Co-operative, which has a store in the town, have submitted an objection saying that they believe that the application is "premature" and that the size of the proposed store is "of a scale which does not relate to the role and function of the centre it seeks to serve."
However, there are also several letters in support of the plan, with many saying that Camelford needs a large supermarket as it will mean that residents no longer have to drive to the likes of Bodmin for their food shopping.
The developers say that the proposals would create 200 full-time jobs and help bring new business into the town which they say has been lost to supermarkets elsewhere.
The firm says in its statement: "The proposals will reverse this decline and claw back this lost trade to the wider benefit of the town.
"The proposals will help Camelford to become more self-contained and provide a wider range of facilities for the local community."
The event being organised by campaigners to help those who wish to object to the scheme will be held from 10.30am to 6.30pm on Thursday, at The Mason's Arms in Camelford.
For more information go to camelfordfoodstore.blogspot.co.uk