Sustainable Ottery

Say NO to Tesco in Ottery St Mary

2008-11-26T10:25:00.006Z

We believe that if planning permission is granted for Tesco in Ottery, the town’s vibrant shopping community will wither and die. We are determined to stop that happening.

What Tesco will say

Tesco will claim their store will have the following benefits:

creation of new jobs
more choice for shoppers
more business will be drawn to Ottery town
it will be environmentally friendly

The reality if Tesco is granted planning permission …

o An increase in traffic and congestion

The distribution systems used by supermarkets and the location of out-of-town stores generate large amounts of traffic.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) suggests that car use for shopping results in costs to society of more than £3.5 billion per year, from traffic emissions, noise, congestion and accidents.

o Erosion of local choice

Choice is eroded as smaller, independent shops struggle to compete. A report by the Competition Commission found that the loss of local, independent shops can have a serious impact in terms of access to food, particularly for people on lower incomes or those who don’t have use of a car.

Destruction of local jobs

Tesco would stifle business individuality and creativity. The kinds of jobs Tesco offer are check-out operators and shelf stackers. Some local people may have no other option but to take these jobs if Tesco opens.

Supermarket claims that new stores bring in jobs fail to consider the wider picture of independent retailer bankruptcies. A 1998 study by the National Retailer Planning Forum (NRPF) examining the employment impacts of 93 superstore openings between 1991 and 1994 found that they resulted in a net loss of more than 25,000 jobs or 276 per store opened.

o A tatty and unappealing place to live?

In Fakenham, Norfolk (population 7300 approx) the opening of an out-of-town supermarket was followed by a one-third increase in the number of empty shops, a drop in the number of convenience stores, and a noticeable deterioration of the built environment of the town centre.

Source: Tescopoly (www.tescopoly.org)

Closure of shops in surrounding villages

We are worried about the effect Tesco would have on shops surrounding Ottery. Stores at Tipton St John, Alfington and West Hill would all be at risk of closure, along with West Hill’s post office.

We don’t need Tesco in Ottery!

We have two small supermarkets already, as well as a plethora of other smaller specialist shops, such as bakers and butchers. We do not want or need an out-of-town Tesco that will draw business away from the town and destroy Ottery’s unique character. Don’t let Tesco’s ruthless desire for profit result in Ottery losing its unique brand of individuality.

We can do it!

People in Sheringham, Andover, St Albans, Dawlish and Cambridge all successfully fought Tesco planning applications - these are just a few examples. See www.tescopoly.org for more information.

What you can do

If Tesco gets the go-ahead by the planners Ottery will be changed forever. If you care please don’t wait – act now! Every comment and message of support counts.

Join our campaign. Email info@sustainableottery.org.uk
Visit www.sustainableottery.org.uk and give your views on our blog
Write to or email your local councillor

- David Cox - dcox@members.eastdevon.gov.uk

- Roger Giles – roger.giles@devon.gov.uk

o Write a letter for publication to the local newspaper

o Call 01404 814078 for information on helping us campaign

Remember, Tesco has owned the site since January 2008.

It has not been open with residents about its purchase.

We believe this has been done with the aim of

stifling healthy debate, enabling Tesco to take control.

Its arguments will be persuasive

but don’t be fooled.

Tesco is dire news for Ottery.

Tesco: We don’t need it. We don’t want it. We will fight it.

Factory Future

2008-02-08T14:44:00.000Z

Every little action helps!

Sustainable Ottery has launched a new campaigning sub-group FACTORY FUTURE. Members of SO met early in the new year in response to plans to develop the old factory site at St Saviour’s, Ottery St Mary. Buildings on the site have remained empty since its American owners, Cutler Hammer, closed the factory in 1997.

Announcing the formation of the new group, PHIL FOGGITT said “Factory Future wants to propose a range of uses for this site which have the support of local people and reflect the urgent need to address the twin challenges of Global Warming and Peak Oil. We are very concerned that plans likely to be submitted in the spring will fail to meet the aspirations and needs of the community. We would welcome the opportunity to engage with the developers with the aim of presenting plans that could gain the community’s support.”

In Ottery, reports of plans to be submitted by factory site owners Churchill Property Group indicate that housing and a supermarket are likely to be central to the proposal. Factory Future stress that they will strongly oppose any plans to erect a supermarket on the site.

The sub-group is inviting people with a variety of skills to join the campaign. The next meeting is to be held at Ottery Football Club, Butts Road, 7.30pm on Wednesday 13th February. Factory Future member Clive Essame explains “We are looking for people with knowledge of planning law, community enterprises, campaigning – and any other skills that would be useful in preparing a practical vision for the site in the future. At this stage this is not a protest meeting although we do want to be ready for action when a formal planning application is submitted.”

Maureen Fairley, another Factory Future member added “Ottery St Mary still has a vibrant community which we want to preserve and build upon. The last thing we need is a supermarket to destroy what is left of our local shops. You can visit any number of towns with ugly superstores which have decimated small town centre businesses. But we would welcome a development that creates real jobs with a future. There are genuine opportunities to establish renewable energies and sustainable technologies- lets give our children a future rather than destroy it.”

Supermarkets

Supermarket claims that new stores bring in jobs fail to consider the wider picture of independent retailer bankruptcies. A 1998 study by the National Retailer Planning Forum (NRPF) found that 276 (an average) local jobs (within 10 miles) were lost per store opened.

In Fakenham, Norfolk (population 7300 approx) the opening of an out of town supermarket was followed by a one-third increase in the number of empty shops; a drop in the number of convenience stores; and a noticeable deterioration of the built environment of the town centre.

Although there is no indication of which supermarket might be interested in taking the site please visit http://www.tescopoly.org/ which gives a mass of information on the effect of supermarkets on local communities as well as examples of successful campaigns against supermarkets.

PHIL FOGGITT phil @ foggitt.freeserve.co.uk

MAUREEN FAIRLEY ma_fairley @ postmaster.co.uk

(to use these emails remove the space either side of the '@' sign in the above, these have been added for security purposes)

The threat of a supermarket

2007-12-15T13:04:00.000Z

We already have three supermarkets within Ottery - there is now a threat concerning the Ottery factory site and proposals for a supermarket development thus threatening to adversely affect the livelihoods of the existing local shops.

What are people's views? See

http://www.tescopoly.org
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/campaigning_against_supermarkets.pdf
http://www.corporatewatch.org/?lid=2596

What should we do as a group?

SO SubGroup - Heart and Soul

2007-11-21T10:01:00.000Z

Sustainable Ottery has a subgroup entitled 'Heart and Soul'.

A group working with our hopes and fears in the changing times we live in: the heart and soul group is intended as a forum where we can share how it is for us as human beings to confront the ecological devastation and perilous times we live in. Here is a place where we can acknowledge how it feels and look at how relocalising our community will shape our relationship with the world and each other.
(Sara Drew)

SO SubGroup - Transport

2007-11-21T10:00:00.000Z

Sustainable Ottery has a subgroup entitled 'Transport'.

Please use this blog thread to add any ideas/ suggestions for topics/ discussions in this area.

SO SubGroup - Art and Creativity

2007-11-21T09:59:00.000Z

Sustainable Ottery has a subgroup entitled 'Art and Creativity'.

Please use this blog thread to add any ideas/ suggestions for topics/ discussions in this area.

SO SubGroup - Plastic Bags and Packaging

2007-11-21T09:56:00.000Z

Sustainable Ottery has a subgroup entitled 'Plastic bags and Packaging'.

Please use this blog thread to add any ideas/ suggestions for topics/ discussions in this area.

SO SubGroup - ENERGY

2007-11-21T09:51:00.000Z

Sustainable Ottery has a subgroup entitled 'Energy'.

SO SubGroup - Locally Sourced Food

2007-11-21T09:49:00.000Z

Sustainable Ottery has a subgroup entitled 'Locally Sourced Food'.

Please use this blog thread to add any ideas/ suggestions for topics/ discussions in this area.

Ideas for Future Topics/ Stories

2007-11-20T03:40:00.000Z

This is a general thread for people to suggest areas of interest for Sustainable Ottery to initiate new topics for discussion

Town Plan

2007-11-14T10:28:00.000Z

What are people's views on the Ottery St Mary Town Plan?

Cycle Path

2007-11-12T10:56:00.000Z

Discussion on the cycle path from Feniton to Sidmouth.

Future use of convent

2007-11-12T10:38:00.001Z

This is a discussion around the future use of the convent in OSM