[diggers350] Tesco colonize Morlands Glastonbury by proxy.

Fri Feb 20 15:58:31 GMT 2009

FYI, the following may be of interest to those who have been sharing
information about the concentration of supermarket power in their
immediate localities:

Subject: Sustainable Communities Act - what proposals?
From:    "Karen Leach" <karen at localisewestmidlands.org.uk>
Date:    Wed, February 18, 2009 12:27 pm

The Sustainable Communities Act process is just starting in Birmingham -
assume the rest of the country is about the same?

I thought this list might be a good place where people might have
proposals for this. The most obvious one would involve making local cases
for repealing the 'improvements' to the planning system that have just
been made, but I am sure there are more and slightly more subtle ones!

Proposals are meant to be locally grounded but let's face it many local
areas face similar issues so it seems worth discussing nationally.

http://www.suscomms.org.uk/ (sustainable communities trust)
http://www.localworks.org/ (Local Works)

I understand that the Sustainable Communities Trust are aiming to set up
an online forum soon (here I think: http://forum.suscomms.org.uk/) to
discuss potential proposals but I thought in advance it might be
interesting to share what people are thinking of proposing or what you've
thought might make a difference.

Oh - and if your council is not listed below then it might not have opted
into the process yet in which case it might need a bit of lobbying!

Thanks

Karen
___________________

Karen Leach
Coordinator
Localise West Midlands
The Warehouse
54-57 Allison Street
Digbeth B5 5TH
0121 685 1155
www.localisewestmidlands.org.uk

List of Local Authorities signed up to the principles of the Sustainable
Communities Act:
Allerdale Borough
Bath and North East Somerset
Birmingham City
Blackpool Borough (Unitary Authority)
Bradford Metropolitan District
Brighton & Hove City
Bristol City
Bury Borough
Cambridge City
Camden Borough
Chelmsford Borough
Corby Borough
Cornwall County
Craven District
Devon County
Dorset County
Eastbourne Borough
Erewash Borough
Exeter City
Hambleton District
Haringey Borough
Harrogate Borough
Herefordshire County
Hounslow Borough
Islington Borough
Kingston upon Hull City
Kingston upon Thames Borough
Lambeth Borough
Lancaster City
Leicestershire County
Lewes District
Lewisham Borough
Luton Borough
Manchester City
Mendip District
Mid Devon District
Newcastle City
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough
North Yorkshire County
Norwich City
Oldham Borough
Oxford City
Pendle Borough
Preston City
Richmond District
Richmond-upon-Thames Borough
Ryedale District
Scarborough Borough
Sefton Borough
Selby District
Sheffield City
Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough
Slough Borough
Solihull Metropolitan Borough
South Gloucestershire
South Hams District
South Lakeland District
South Somerset District
South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough
Southampton City
Stockport Metropolitan Borough
Suffolk County
Sutton Borough
Trafford Borough
Warrington Borough
West Berkshire (Unitary Authority)
West Dorset District
West Oxfordshire District
West Wiltshire District
Wiltshire County
Woking Borough
Worthing Borough
York City

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Re: [diggers350] Tesco colonize Morlands Glastonbury by proxy.
From:    "biffvernon" <biff at biffvernon.freeserve.co.uk>
Date:    Wed, February 18, 2009 11:29 am
To:      diggers350 at yahoogroups.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

We've a similar problem in Louth, Lincolnshire:
http://www.keeplouthspecial.org.uk/

Keep Louth Special group formed to stop supermarket
Pressure group formed

Published Date: 27 October 2008
Monday 1.30pm - SELLING off Louth's Cattle Market site for a giant new
supermarket would destroy the town's unique collection of little shops,
according to a new pressure group.
Keep Louth Special, set up by a group of Louth residents, shoppers and
local businesses, says ELDC being open to offers for the retail
development of the five acre site amounts to playing Russian roulette with
one of the few unspoiled market towns left in Lincolnshire.

"Right across the country, big supermarkets are exterminating local
businesses, and in doing so are taking the friendliness, the service and
the fun out of shopping," said Richard James, one of the group's founders.

"We all use supermarkets to a certain extent," said Joanna Heselwood of
Keep Louth Special. "But the cattle market may end up with a store large
enough for shoppers to get everything under one roof. What then would be
left for the rest of the town?"

The group says whether people live in or around Louth, or merely value the
unique shopping experience, they should write to their councillor or MP to
make their voice heard.

"East Lindsey is already mired in controversy over the siting of a leisure
centre in Wood Lane, and the abandonment of responsibility for Hubbards
Hills," said Keep Louth Special spokesman Nick Louth.
"It is high time that local residents were listened to and a full debate
begun before any decisions are made."
The group is formally launching a petition on Saturday, November 1 and is
aiming to get 5,000 signatures by Christmas.

"We are entering a time of recession, when communities need to pull
together," Nick Louth said.
"By spending locally, Louth shoppers can help local businesses, farmers
and suppliers who in turn account for much of the town's employment. This
in turn keeps up house prices and bolsters prosperity all round. By
contrast, spending everything at a huge new supermarket would mean money
sucked from the local economy, never to return."

http://www.louthleader.co.uk/news/Keep-Louth-Special-group-formed.4632848.jp

Keep Louth Special
What we are about

 East Lindsey District Council has invited offers for the cattle market
site, and has received dozens of applications from supermarket groups keen
to open a giant new store on the five acre site.

 Not only would this mean the loss of the livestock market, the last in
Lincolnshire, but because it is too far from the centre it would threaten
Louths unique collection of small independent shops and its open market.

 A new supermarket on that site would mean lost jobs, lost skills, empty
shops, noisy night-time deliveries and a loss of character. The town
centre would die. Property values would sink.

 Louth IS worth saving. While most of the countrys clone towns are dull
replicas of each other, Louth is unique. Where else do the local retail
names outnumber the national chains?

 Louths historic connection with local farm produce means low food miles
and the ultimate in sustainability and traceability. This is perfect for a
Fairtrade town, and good for local jobs too.

 Architectural and retail heritage go hand in hand. Louths wonderful
Georgian and Victorian shops would look sad if all they housed were
charity shops, mobile phone outlets and burger bars.

 Market Rasen has already lost its covered food market since Tesco
arrived in 2005 and local food and convenience stores have seen 20-50%
falls in sales. If ELDC decides to sell the cattle market site for a giant
new  supermarket, exactly the same will happen to Louth.

 ELDC is following a flawed retail policy based the Farrell Bass
Pritchard report 2006. This report is factually inaccurate, illogical and
contradictory. It is high time ELDC recognised this and ditched the
policy. Now is the time for it to nurture Louth, not undermine it.
 Make your voice heard. We need everyone in Louth and the surrounding
villages to write to their councillors and their MP to demand that no new
supermarkets be built

 Use them or lose them. Above all, it is up to us to use the small shops
to keep the town healthy and thriving.