Planning permission has been granted to allow food to be sold from a Camborne retail unit if its current occupiers have to leave.

The unit at Camborne Retail Park in Trevenson Road is currently home to a Carpetright store.

However the national chain closed 92 stores last year and there is uncertainty around its future.

While the carpet retailer has kept the Camborne store open the owners of the unit, Canynge Bicknell, asked for permission to allow food to be sold there should it need to find a new tenant.

A report by planning officers states: “Canynge Bicknell wish to be prepared for a scenario where the restructuring is not successful, Carpetright goes into administration and the Camborne store has to close.”

It explains that the unit is only allowed to sell non-food goods: “However if Carpetright was to vacate the unit Canynge Bicknell will then need to secure a new tenant. If that becomes necessary it will greatly increase the chances of re-letting the unit if it can be marketed to as wide a range of retailers as possible, including for convenience goods/food.”

Cornwall Council’s west sub-area planning committee considered the application this morning and unanimously approved it.

The committee had heard that the original application sought to allow 100 per cent food sales from the unit but after discussions reduced that to 30 per cent.

Camborne Retail Park is currently home to several other stores including B&Q, Bensons Beds, Halfords, Poundland and Pets@Home. All of them are for non-food retail, apart from Poundland which is also allow to sell up to 30% food.

Carn Brea Parish Council did not support the application saying “there are no more food outlets needed on this estate”.

In its objection the parish council mentioned Costa Coffee and KFC which recently opened nearby.

Planning officers said the concerns had been noted but these were related to a different class – hot food takeaways – to the use being applied for.

Officers also said that a store with 30 per cent food retail would also have no impact on the “vitality and viability of Camborne or any other town centres”.