The Stadium for Cornwall site looks likely to be turned into outdoor sports facilities.

Cornwall Council has announced that the piece of land at Threemilestone has been chosen from three options as the most suitable for sporting facilities.

It forms part of the planning permission for the Langarth Farm development, which includes both homes and businesses.

Now the council’s director of economy, enterprise and environment has today formally notified the owners of the land, the Stephens family, and INOX, the developer, that he needs the land, known as “the Blue Land”, to be transferred to the council. This will also include a sum of up to £900,000 which will be used to provide outdoor sports facilities for the local community at a later date, following the start of the development.

It was considered to have the best facilities and potential for future expansion, and was therefore “in the overall best interests” of current and future residents of the Langarth and Threemilestone area.

It is, however, the same land that has planning permission for a stadium to be built.

A council spokesperson said: “Selecting this option will ensure that the largest and flattest area has been preserved for public use and will ensure that it is not the subject of an application for an alternative development proposal, which is a real risk should the council not choose this option.

“Selecting this land does not necessarily preclude its development for a stadium in the future.”

While the council has previously given its support in principle for a stadium funded by the private sector, no substantive plans have been put forward to build it since the original planning permission was granted. The council has said that should a “realistic proposal” come forward in the future, the council would consider the feasibility of exchanging the stadium site for “similar, alternative land” in the Threemilestone and Langarth area for open space and public sports provision.

The council spokesperson added: “We note INOX's offer to extend the period of time in which the decision could be made.

“We thank them for this but note that it would require a change to the existing planning obligation and the consent of landowners. As we do not believe that additional time would lead to a better informed or a different decision, we do not think it would be beneficial to take it.”