The great and the good of the rugby world have joined forces with business leaders in advance of a crunch planning meeting.

Among those signing the letter urging members of the Strategic Planning Committee to defer a series of supermarket planning applications are Bill Beaumont, the chairman of the RFU, and Phil Vickery, England and British Lions rugby player, 

The open letter to all members of Cornwall Council – reads.

Dear Councillor, Ref: Truro supermarket planning applications and the Stadium for Cornwall Cornwall Council’s Strategic Planning Committee is due to consider three separate planning applications (PA13/10454; PA14/00226 and PA14/00703) for the west of Truro at an extraordinary meeting on Friday 26th September. Each application includes a supermarket.

You may be aware that a fourth supermarket-led application has recently been submitted in the same area by Inox Group for the express purpose of solely funding the construction of the Stadium for Cornwall. Inox has detailed planning permission for the Stadium at Langarth.

Inox has publicly committed to signing a Section 106 agreement to ring-fence the proceeds from this development for the construction of the Stadium if the scheme is approved. This means a private sector funding solution for the Stadium is finally within reach.

There is however commercial demand for only one more supermarket west of Truro for the foreseeable future. If members approve any of the schemes being put forward on 26th September before having the opportunity to consider the Inox proposal in full, then this once-in-a-lifetime chance to fund the Stadium for Cornwall at no cost to the taxpayer will be lost forever.

We the undersigned are urging members of the Strategic Planning Committee to defer the determination of these applications on 26th September.

We believe your planning officers should give the committee the opportunity to consider all four applications at the same time, and judge them on their merits together.

We are confident that the community benefits of the Inox proposal greatly outweigh those of the other schemes. A Stadium for Cornwall at Langarth would be a jewel in Cornwall’s sporting crown, catering for a variety of sports and community groups, generating year-round benefits, educational opportunities and millions of pounds annually for the local economy.

According to a recent report from the Cornwall Sports Partnership, sport is already worth £156 million to the Cornish economy, employing 6,000 people and representing 2.5% of total employment. Cornwall has the fastest growing sports participation rate nationally, and the 4th highest overall. The Stadium for Cornwall would build on this momentum, helping to inspire new generations of athletes, and with it a positive attitude to health and wellbeing.

All we ask is that councillors have the chance to consider the Inox scheme in tandem with the other supermarket related applications, rather than make a decision next week that would spell the end of Cornwall’s Stadium ambitions, and with it the dreams of so many thousands of its supporters.

Yours sincerely, Will Ashworth, Managing Director, Watergate Bay Hotel. John Beach, Chairman, Cornish Rebels RLFC. Bill Beaumont, Chairman RFU, ex England RFU Captain, British Lion and Grand Slam Captain. Paul Billing, Director, Whirlwind Sports, Truro. Peter Child, Managing Director, A&P Falmouth. Jane Cockcroft, Managing Director, Data Sharp UK Ltd, Truro. Ian Connell, Chairman, Cornish Pirates RFC. Rob Edlin, Managing Director, Niddocks Ltd, Helston. Mark Etherington, Managing Director, Brian Etherington Meat Co, Redruth. Tim Ferris, Managing Director, Ferris Garage Limited, Feock, Truro. Maureen Fuller, Grand Bard, Gorsedh Kernow. Kevin & Colin Hadfield, Owners, Clear View Finance, Truro. Mark Holden & Justin Barnett, Directors, Inn Cornwall Limited. Giles Horne, Chairman, City of Truro Chamber of Commerce. Jason Keyter, Director, Retallack Resort & Spa, Wadebridge. Rod Lyon, Past Grand Bard, Gorsedh Kernow. Peter Marks, Chairman, Stadium4Cornwall Group. David Martin, RFU Official and Cornwall RFU. Sebastian Parker, Owner, Callestick Farm Cornish Dairy Ice Cream. The Partners of Francis Clark Chartered Accountants, Truro. Toby Parkins, Director, UKNetWeb and HeadForwards, St Agnes and Pool. Clive Pascoe, Managing Director, CAW (Cornwall) Ltd, Threemilestone. Brian Smallworth, Head Coach and General Manager, Cornish Sharks American Football Club. Phil Vickery, Cornwall, England & British Lions rugby player, World Cup winner. David Walrond, Principal, Truro & Penwith College. Stephen Watson, Managing Director, Watson French, Truro. Laura Whyte, Managing Director, Whyfield Limited, Truro. Trevor Woodman, Cornwall, England rugby player, World Cup winner .Tony Wootton, Chairman, Cornish Pirates Supporters Club. Angela Young, Managing Director, Warner Young Management (Live at Heartlands 2014).