The fate of plans to turn the former Packet printing works into a discount food store for Falmouth and Penryn is being decided tomorrow.

Lidl UK hope to convert two buildings at Ponsharden - most recently leased to wood supplier Woodstock and mobility scooter company Horizon - into a 1,070 square metre supermarket and three industrial workshops.

The application, which is being considered by planning committee members of Carrick district council at their meeting tomorrow evening, includes plans for 80 car parking spaces.

The store would be a single-storey building with a shallow, wave-form roof with lots of natural lighting to reduce energy usage.

In a report to members planning officer Karl Roberts recommended that the store be given conditional approval, despite the area being identified as one where preference should be given to developments that related to the waterside.

However, he pointed out that neither of the previous two occupiers were marine-related.

"It is worth noting that this site equally serves the needs of both Falmouth and Penryn rather than just one community, and may claw back some 'spend' from Truro," he added.

In terms of the store itself, Mr Roberts has written that Lidl was classed as a "deep discount" retailer, where goods were brought in and sold off the pallet to reduce costs.

"There are no similar stores in the Falmouth and Penryn area. In addition to such a store being beneficial to the local residential community it would also be of benefit to the local holiday sector looking to make bulk purchases of foodstuffs," he added.

Lidl has 5,500 supermarkets across Europe and in November 1994 started trading in the UK, where it now operates 400 stores.

The idea of building a retail outlet on the site was first mooted over 18 months ago.

What do you think about a Lidl store coming to Ponsharden? You can leave your thoughts by clicking on the comment box below.