IT’S all change in Truro city centre, with a number of new businesses filling empty units.

Tesco Express opened for business at 32 Boscawen Street - the former Lakeland store - at 10am on Friday, with town crier Lionel Knight cutting the ribbon.

To celebrate the occasion, Tesco will make a donation of £500 to the Truro Homeless Action Group. The new store will also participate in the Community Food Connection scheme, redistributing surplus food to charities and community groups at the end of each day.

New premises around the city include Petty Fours restaurant in Old Bridge Street, offering a relaxed dining experience, with menus that evolve with the Cornish seasons; and Mega Shakes promises more than 60 different flavours of indulgent milkshakes a few doors down.

Lower Lemon Street is now home to fused glass designer Jo Downs’ sixth Cornwall gallery, and Lemon Tree Bistro, while shoe shop Skechers has moved into the Victoria Square unit vacated when Mountain Warehouse relocated to Boscawen Street.

Gallery TR1, at 8 St Mary's Street opposite Vertigo, showcases the work of several local artists; the former Pavers shoe shop in Duke Street is now a pop-up Calendar Club outlet; and Lilleyfields Cheese Shop has joined the independent residents of Lemon Street Market.

In New Bridge Street, Grounded coffee shop has reopened under new management and is aiming to source all products from a ten-mile radius; across the road, Luxe has added a healthy smoothie and coffee bar to its offering of beauty treatments.

Alun Jones, manager of Truro Business Improvement District (BID), said: “While we have to recognise things are still really tough out there, we are nonetheless delighted to see new businesses opening in Truro and strengthening our retail offer. These include nationals, which are needed, but also independents which make Truro interesting.”