Investigation into Penryn supermarket's car park pharmacy scrapped as 'not expedient' (From Falmouth Packet)

Investigation into Penryn supermarket's car park pharmacy scrapped as 'not expedient'

1:10pm Friday 11th January 2013 in News By Greg Fountain, Reporter/Photographer

Enforcement action against a Penryn supermarket has been dropped by Cornwall Council, who were investigating an alleged breach of planning law stemming from a makeshift pharmacy opened in the store's car park.

Asda, on Jennings Lane, opened their pharmacy on December 23 despite being refused permission for the move by Cornwall Council.

Although the pharmacy has a licence issued by the NHS, a condition entered on Asda's original planning permission forbids them from opening a pharmacy on site for fears it will have a "negative effect" on Penryn town centre.

The store did apply to have this condition overturned but was refused by Cornwall Council late last year.

That decision has now gone to appeal with The Planning Inspectorate for England and Wales.

In the meantime, Cornwall Council said today that it had closed its own investigation because taking action would not be "expedient".

Cornwall Council has yet to explain what they mean by "not expedient".

Penryn town clerk Michelle Davey suggested that the phrase is normally used "when they consider there is a breach, but that is not worth pursuing."

Read about Penryn Surgery's fight against Asda's attempts to open a pharmacy here.

Read former Penryn pharmacist David Turton's letter on why an "out of town pharmacy is good" for the town here.