Twelve years ago it was hailed as the saviour of Helston’s economy but this week the much-maligned Helston Business Park, created with “£2.7 million” of taxpayers’ money, took another step towards being sold off.

When it was first mooted, those behind the 15-acre park claimed it would support hundreds of jobs.

Yet more than a decade on and not a single business has moved onto the site, leading to it being dubbed the town’s “most expensive dog walking area.”

Last Friday marked the deadline for bids to be submitted to the Homes and Communities Agency, which took control in 2011 and is now selling the site by informal tender.

Speaking from the public gallery, former town councillor Keith Reynolds described it as a “waste of money,” claiming £2.7 million was spent to create it.

Since then it had lain empty for nine years, despite “many, many people” trying to move their businesses.

In the past critics have claimed it was too difficult to move onto one of the plots, citing strict criteria and expense as insurmountable hurdles.

Mr Reynolds said: “It’s a very important part of Helston. I’m appalled to see that it’s being put up to tender – that’s £2.7 million of tax payers’ money. I’m sorry, that’s not the way public funds should be dealt with.

“That is an asset of Helston – public funds – and should not be dispensed with by informal tender.”

It has not been revealed what will happen to the proceeds of the sale.

A Homes and Communities Agency spokesman said: “We fully understand that people want to see Helston Business Park brought into use in a way that will benefit the economy.

“That is why we have appointed property agents to market the site and invited bids from organisations which set out ideas about how this can be made to happen. The recent informal tender was open to anyone, whether they are local or national, and we will consider all bids on their own merits.

“This approach meets the government’s ambition to use all public land to stimulate economic growth and is carried out by working closely with local partners.

“The deadline for bids only closed last Friday and we will be reviewing the submissions shortly. Stakeholders will be kept informed on progress as part of this important work.”

The business park was among roughly £300 million worth of land and property owned by the now disbanded Regional Development Agency, which was transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency in September 2011. In Cornwall there are 29 sites in a similar situation.

The South West Regional Development Agency bought the land in 2001 for almost £500,000.

At the time prospect of such industrial development was described as “of vital importance” to Helston, which was said to suffer from a lack of available business premises.

Within two years, however, the project was already coming under scrutiny, with the RDA forced to issue a statement assuring people the scheme was “very much alive.”

In 2005 a detailed planning application was submitted for works on the site, including 10,000 square feet of office space, the same the amount of light industrial space and associated roads.

Today, however, there are roads that lead to nowhere and large expanses of grass that are used more for dog walking than business.

Selling by informal tender The informal tender is the first stage of the process of selling the land and designed to “test the market”.

Bids were invited from any interested parties, who were asked to put forward proposals on what they wanted to do with the land.

These will now be considered by the Homes and Communities Agency, in consultation with the bidders themselves.

After negotiations a proposal will be put to an internal committee of the agency to sign off. The parties will then enter into contract negotiations and then finally sold.

There will be two main considerations when the HCA looks at the bids: whether they meet the (undisclosed) value that has been put on the land and what the bidder wants to do with the site.

Stock photo of business park attached. Caption: Plots for sale on Helston Business Park shortly before the land was passed to the Homes and Communities Agency in 2011.