SAVE OUR TOWN CENTRE - STOP THE SUPERMARKET

Thanks to everyone who came to the meeting at Townsend Hall on Tuesday for your support. Things seem to be happening fast. The campaign has been on the front page of the Cotswold Journal, the MP is coming tomorrow to support us (see below) and we have been interviewed on Touch FM (the interview will be broadcast tomorrow before 9am). Here is an update...

Ghost Town Shipston – Publicity Event – 9am tomorrow!

Many of Shipston shopkeepers are emptying all or part of their shop windows on Friday morning and Saturday morning to highlight what Shipston would look like if the supermarket was allowed. Our MP Nadhim Zahawi will be in the Town Centre at 9.00 on Friday 9^th March (tomorrow) to support the campaign.
A similar campaign was held in Holmfirth, Yorkshire. See video clip: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/video_ghost_town_holmfirth_shops_pull_up_the_shutters_in_tesco_protest_1_4141670

Date for Objections - 19th. March!

Two dates for this were given at the meeting on Tuesday but Councillor Richard Cheney has looked at the rules again and says it is quite clear that the 19th. March is the deadline for neighbour responses, which includes any residents objecting, Although comments received after this will be accepted they may not be in time to be taken into account in the planning officers'report to committee.

Suggestions for grounds of objection to the ASL Application:

1. The proposals will have an adverse impact on vitality and viability of Shipston town centre;
2. Focus should be on developing brownfield, previously used land – the application site is a Greenfield site, previously in agricultural use;
3. Retail study used to justify the proposals is from 2008, out-of-date and doesn’t allow for new retail developments and commitments arising since its publication;
4. The proposals are contrary to the principles set out in Stratford-upon-Avon District Council’s latest Consultation Draft of the Core Strategy, specifically;

• Improve local shopping facilities in the town centre;
• Provide specifically for a modest additional amount (approx. 410 sq.m net) of food retail to support the town centre.

5. It is unlikely that the proposal will result in ‘linked trips’ whereby customers will do their shopping then travel into Shipston – people are unlikely to drive or walk into the centre after doing their main food shop in the supermarket;
6. The ‘clawback’ of expenditure currently lost to towns outside Shipston will largely be retained by the supermarket, with little, if any, benefit to the wider town.
7. Shipston's roads can't cope with the increase in traffic

   Comments / Objections to:

   http://apps.stratford.gov.uk/eplanning/AppDetail.aspx?appkey=LZJFE5PM01600

   Also: Support the proposal in the new SDC Core Strategy Document strategy to increase retail space in the town centre. This can be separately at: http://www.stratford.gov.uk/planning/planning-4019.cfm

Public Meeting - March 22

At the meeting Town Mayor Mr Paul Rathkey proposed an additional meeting in a bigger hall on March 22 to let everybody express a view. We are trying to make arrangements for this. We will confirm the arrangements as soon as we can.

Action Group Meeting 6.00 Tuesday 13^th March
White Bear – All Welcome

Useful Websites - Supermarkets don’t always win!...

Tescopoly

Tesco now controls over 30% of the grocery market in the UK. In 2011, the supermarket chain announced profits of £3.4bn. Growing evidence indicates that Tesco's success is partly based on trading practices that are having serious consequences for suppliers, farmers and workers worldwide, local shops and the environment...

For more go to... http://www.tescopoly.org/

Tesco doesn’t always win.

Plans for Selby Lane, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire were turned down and Tesco withdrew the application. See: http://www.sboote.demon.co.uk/110909tescodefeated.html

Corporate Watch

When a supermarket plans to open a store in your town it frequently heralds the new development with effusive publicity about the benefits to the local economy and community. But the reality is different. Here are some of the arguments you might want to employ to counter the supermarket's PR. For more go to...http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=2351