Oswestry21

Press release from the CPRE today 4th March. It can be done! Oswestry next, where Shropshire Council equally needs, in the light of PPS4, to “to look at the size of stores in terms of gross floor space and impact on the wider local economy”.

In response to today’s landmark decision to prevent a new Supermarket development in the centre of the largely unspoiled sea side town of Sheringham, James Frost, Director of CPRE Norfolk, says:

“This is a brave and important decision. It shows that local authorities can resist the market power and muscle of the largest retailers and fight for the right decisions to be made to prevent the wrong development taking place. This decision offers hope to many other towns fighting similar proposals for more large supermarkets.

“The alternative decision in favour of the Greenhouse Community Project also has its challenges but it does offer a joined-up 21^st century approach to food sourcing, education and retail. The meeting today heard from young people, schoolteachers and members of the local community who all see the unique opportunity that the project offers. It’s a victory for local food networks and a victory for local democracy.

“The Tesco store has always been too large for Sheringham and would have caused a serious impact on local traders, the town centre and tourism.  Sheringham has been a test case for the new planning policy statement PPS4 which asks councils to look at the size of stores in terms of gross floor space and impact on the wider local economy. Once again, Tesco have fallen short.”

Article by By Michael Haynes, Business lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton’s Shropshire campus from Shropshire Star, Feb 21st. Read ful article HERE.

“One in eight shops across the UK is empty. In some towns it is as many as one in four. In the worst cases many of these shops will remain empty until they are knocked down by redevelopers.

Becoming a ‘retail ghost town’ is a real danger in some of Telford’s component towns………..”

There is an undoubted surge of realisation that the supermarket game is up, which only adds urgency to the four cornered fight for another one in Oswestry. Throughout the media, journalists and commentators ponder and question what has happened to community, and the social connections that hold successful and viable communities together. Anywhere, you can embark on, or over hear conversations with ordinary people about the same subject. While there are a number of reasons, the role of supermakets - their control of production, consumption and retail, their destruction of independent and small retail business, it’s consequence on the life, appearance and vitality of town centres, the lack of any real choice they offer and the total lack of any human scale and interaction beyond the all important “Have you got a Nectar Card?” have a very clear quantifiable and qualitative effect on all these tangible opportunities to engage in life in meaningful ways.

Watch this video

Conservative party to torpedo Tesco growth plans

 The Times. Feb 7th 2010

Tescopoly West Mids local campaigns, inc. Oswestry 

Tescopoly - essential reading.

Government planning policy fails local shops 

Talking Retail. Feb 4th 2010

Keep Machynlleth Special

The Machynlleth campaign website

Shropshire Council plans made to help Wem town centre 

If they don’t want to be doing the same for Oswestry then they should not be looking at approving another supermarket here. What the point of regeneration officers scrabbling for dwindling funding to “help” struggling town centres while planners are intent on doing everything that will drain a town centre of economic life is a mystery that only Shropshire Council has the answer to.

“Any help we can offer to revitalise our market towns is welcomed and I know our officers will work closely with all concerned to ensure that actions identified for Wem are taken forward with enthusiasm.” Councillor David Roberts, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for local environment and economy said.

Well perhaps having the courage to say no to developers and supermarket monopolies and having the vision to promote town markets as food hubs and real shopping centres might go some way to constituting an offer of help for market town revitalisation. 

Bed time reading.

 Clone Town Britain. The New Economics Foundation survey results on the bland state of the nation. Results and recommendations well worth reading.

 http://www.neweconomics.org/

Telford supermarket decision “called in”. Council have “a duty to protect the town centre from inappropriate development”

A decision on controversial plans by a supermarket giant (Tesco) to increase the amount of space it is allowed to use for non-grocery products at its Shrewsbury store has been put off for one month.

Newport, Shrops council oppose Lidl store plans in Newport 

Hard not to visualise Oswestry marching alone & resolutely in the opposite direction.

Listen to Candida Lycett Green on the Today Programme, Radio 4, Friday 1st January 2010, talking about the plight of Britain’s town centre. She doesn’t mention Oswestry.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8436000/8436881.stm