CORNWALL planners have unanimously approved retrospective consent for the retention of a retaining wall which borders the car park at Tesco, Callington.

Cornwall councillor for Callington Andrew Long said this week it ended two years of controversy over the issue.

The application followed a report of an alleged breach of planning and a subsequent investigation by the enforcement department of Cornwall Council.

It was discovered that the wall was not shown on drawings seen by Callington Town Council and the former Caradon District Council when the planning application for the store was approved in 2009 and this led to concerns that the store had been built higher than it should.

But the investigation revealed that the car park and store had been constructed at the levels and heights agreed by earlier planning permissions and the criblock wall had not led or brought any breach of planning related to the store, car park or wider site as built.

Following the enforcement investigation, Tesco was asked to submit a retrospective application for the wall to formalise the site. The company will also carry out further landscaping to soften the boundary.

Callington Town Council opposed the retrospective application on the grounds that it was not in line with the initial planning permission granted.

Two letters of objection and a petition of 43 names were sent to the planning authority, stating that the structure was out of place and presented an overbearing, industrial facade in a semi-rural landscape.

Cllr Long said: ' The planning committee came to a democratic decision based on the information before them and I am content that this has now been completed, although I totally understand the frustrations of the objectors.

'This process has, however, highlighted concerns that as a town council we may not be getting all the information required to make an informed recommendation.'

He said procedures had been improved in the Cornwall Council planning system but it was vital that correct detailed drawings were made available for the town council planning committee to come to an informed view. 'We have also asked the enforcement department to come along to the town council in the autumn to discuss how its system works in practice and how recent issues have been dealt with by that department,' he added.