Town closed for store demolition

The closure is part of a £40m regeneration scheme

Part of a Cornish town centre has been closed off as demolition work continues as part of a £40m regeneration scheme.

South Street in St Austell is closed so contractors can continue taking down the old Tesco building as part of the £40m project.

Contractors have also applied for road closures for the next two Sundays, but if the demolition is straightforward the final closure may not be necessary.

The site is expected to be clear by the Christmas holiday season.

Shop wrangling

The knocking down of the former Tesco site will be followed by the stripping out of old clothes shops and the Engine House on the south side of Aylmer Square.

The demolition will help make way for a new development including shops, restaurants, a cinema and 60 new homes.

Work to start bringing down the old supermarket was begun on Saturday by 13-year-old James Johns, from Foxhole, who won a competition.

The redevelopment is due to be completed in 2010.

A compulsory purchase order was made on the site by the South West Regional Development Agency after wrangling between Tesco and the local council delayed the work.