PLANS to open a pharmacy at Asda in Penryn have been slammed by the town council, who claim the business would be ‘disastrous’ for other shops in the town.

The supermarket giant had been refused the rights to open a chemist when it first applied for planning permission for the site. A response prepared by the authority ahead of a meeting of its planning committee next week explains the reasons behind its ‘strong objections’. The council fears the opening of the pharmacy in Asda would lead to the closure of the current shop in the town centre.

It states: “The council supports the comments of Cornwall Council ’s town centre management specialist that, if the pharmacy were to close, it would undoubtedly have a negative ripple effect on the rest of the town centre and that removing one of the key service providers and key footfall drivers into an already struggling town centre would be disastrous for the economic viability of the town centre as a whole.”

The plans will be discussed in the council chamber on Monday at 7pm.