A PUBLIC exhibition was held in the former B&Q building in Launceston Retail Park last Wednesday about proposals for new tenants to use the space.

B&Q closed their Launceston store for the last time at the beginning of October, leaving a 17,000 sq ft area devoid of use.

Landlords, LondonMetric Property Plc, have held talks with interested parties since then and have confirmed that variety retailers, B&M will take up Unit 1A.

B&M specialise in the likes of home accessories, home and living and confectionary, while they also sell big brand products.

As well as that, a premium food retailer which hasn’t been confirmed, will also use Unit 1B, while there is talk that a third Costa coffee shop in the town, will also be added to the retail park.

Over 200 people came to the consultation, where they got the chance to ask questions to LondonMetric Property Plc and fill out feedback forms.

Explaining the benefits of B&M, asset management executive for LondonMetric Property Plc, Simon Meacock, said: “When B&Q closed down we approached the market and the retailers about this site. B&M were at the forefront of that and they’ll be great for Launceston.

“They provide a great quality wide range of merchandise at really competitive prices and are also a really good foot driver; they bring people into their store and that’s what we need.”

A store that sells such a wide range of items could cause smaller businesses in the town to worry.

However Mr Meacock insists that they want to work with the local companies and make sure that locals spend their money in Launceston as much as possible.

Mr Meacock said: “From our point of view this is a vacant area, which isn’t used.

“The proposals for this site will create at least 70/80 full time and part time jobs and it could end up being more than that.

“We want to work with the town centre and complement them by bringing people to Launceston. This will help prevent expenditure leaking to other areas such as Liskeard and Plymouth, who already have B&M stores. For us it’s about capturing the spend here and getting people to shop within the town.”

While the landlords have confirmed that B&M is to come to Launceston, subject to planning, it is has been rumoured locally that premium food retailer, M&S Food, will join them. Both are companies the majority of the public seem to be in favour of.

Ken Beale, who has lived in the town for the last nine years, said: “B&M will be great for the town as they have a good spread of cost, selling cheap products as well as expensive ones, while M&S is a fantastic product. However we don’t need another coffee shop. I’d like to see something different like a Chinese restaurant. We have a number of Chinese takeaways but not somewhere where we can sit down and enjoy a meal of that type.”

Sandra Williams is another person who likes the idea of B&M, but is desperate to see public toilet facilities as part of the area, as there currently none on the park.

Sandra said: “I think B&M is a really good idea as a lot of us go to B&M in Liskeard and other places, so it’ll save us going out there all the time.

“However there are no toilets on the retail park and that’s something that needs to be addressed. If it is indeed M&S that are coming in as the food retailer then I’m sure it’ll work. They said that Tesco wouldn’t and it has.”

Responding, Mr Meacock said should planning be granted to the coffee shop, toilet facilities will be included.

While Mr Beale and Mrs Williams were supportive of the proposals, Alan Russell wasn’t quite so enthusiastic.

Mr Russell said: “The idea is good in principle but these aren’t apart from M&S. B&M is another cheap shop. Instead of that I’d like to see a Brewers paint shop or a Halfords or something like that. We don’t have anything like that around here.

“The M&S store is a bit more up market and is a good thing. But it seems to me that B&M is like another Dunelm.”

A lady who didn’t want to be named, agreed with Mr Russell on the need for somewhere that sells paint and décor.

She said: “I hope B&M sell paint and décor products. Now B&Q is closed there’s nowhere really around here to get that sort of thing.”

Meanwhile, Vivienne Croshaw believes that an M&S store wouldn’t be much good, citing a lack of money in the local area.

Mrs Croshaw said: “People that live around here can’t afford M&S, something like an Iceland would be a lot better.”

While it’s always impossible to keep everyone happy with whatever businesses decide to locate in the retail park, Mr Meacock has a message for the people of Launceston and points to the fact that Launceston Town Council has also approved the plans.

He said: “Launceston Town Council see that jobs are going to be created and the unit is going to be re-used. We’ve invested £4.2-million into the space, which is the largest investment we’ve made on the retail park. It shows our commitment to the store and we hope that the local community are supportive of our investment and happy to welcome new retailers to the area.

“We’ve had to work hard to get them here and we’re also spending a lot of money to sub-divide the unit into three and establish it in order to attract these retailers.

“If the planning goes ahead early in the new year we can start work in February or March. And once the building is done and the retailers get in and set themselves up, hopefully we can start trading here sometime in October 2017.”