Hayle is certainly poised on the brink of a huge decision which will affect the town for the next 50 plus years.The GVA Grimley report states both that a supermarket will lead to a 30% loss in trade and that one is desirable to prevent retail leakage. Can both sides of this circle be squared? Have the implications of a 6'/1.85m landfill site on South Quayin terms of building, ugliness and flood risk been truly appreciated?

ING - once again demonstrating the care and esteem they hold Hayle in - are clear 'The raised levels of the site will protect the new development flooding in the future and can be provided to accommodate future flood resilience to adjacent properties.' - so clearly they anticipate a flooding risk sufficiently grave to go to the considerable trouble and expense of building an enormous plinth on top of the listed quays, indeed they seem to see it as a certainty. So when that flood comes, and South Quay is 6'/1.85m higher than the entire rest of the site - Foundry Square etc, where will the water go?

The cars, will being being driven up ramps, and parked on top of the landfill - truly a heritage vision worth having!

ASDA - whose own scheme has drawbacks - have offered over £5m to ING to buy the site for Hayle - this could provide the basis for the long awaited cinema (not limitied as ING would to 25 years, but in perpetuity), and allow other use of the site - perhaps a leisure centre? Farmers market? Something for both locals and visitors as an attraction in Foundry Square.

What is best for Hayle?

Hayle is home to war of the supermarkets, while mayor believes none should succeed -

The first shots have been fired in a war of the supermarkets being staged in a small town which has become the unlikely battleground between four rival bids.

Hundreds of Hayle residents packed into a public meeting on Wednesday night in which each of the proposals were outlined ahead of a decision by county planners.

On the table are plans for sites next to the A30 from Asda and Sainsbury's, plus bids for more central spots from Morrisons and Hayle Harbour developer ING, which has yet to disclose its tenants.

Hayle mayor John Bennett said he believed granting any of the applications would have a dire effect on the town.

"I know we have to move with the times and we all shop at supermarkets, but I am not convinced that the case has really been made for Hayle."

He said that a retail impact assessment recently estimated that building a supermarket on the outskirts or centre of town could result in a 25 per cent or 33 per cent downturn respectively for local businesses.

He added: "My fear is that some small businesses simply would not survive. If this is the sort of impact that we will be looking at, a supermarket would be condemning a lot of small businesses to closure."

Phil Allatt, owner of technology firm IT West, which is based in Hayle, said he was in favour of developments near the town centre.

"I think the out-of-town proposals will simply pull people out of town, while the edge-of-town (centre) proposals will have just the reverse effect. I believe they will add value and bring shoppers in."

He added that the bigger picture was the long-awaited redevelopment of Hayle Harbour, now set to go ahead under ING stewardship.

"This is really about the redevelopment of Hayle. We have been waiting 30 years and this opportunity is the last chance saloon."

The meeting at Hayle Community School heard from the four applicants, although it is broadly believed the two front runners are Asda and ING.

Asda's application has backing from Hayle Rugby Club, whose prime site next to the A30 site it would take over. The multi-million pound deal would allow the club to relocate to a new ground at Carwin Rise and give them a nest egg to develop facilities in the future.

Hayle Harbour owner ING is planning a similar sized venture at South Quay, near to the town centre, but has not yet revealed its tenants. Sainsbury's is hoping for the green light for its bid at Marsh Lane, next door to the Asda site and opposite the Marks and Spencer-anchored retail park.

Morrisons' application is the smallest and would occupy a site currently taken by builders merchant Jewson.

Cornwall Council's strategic planning committee will meet to make a decision on February 3.

[Hayle news | This Is Cornwall]