It was great to see the big turnout for Saturday's protest against the proposed giant superstore development at Ashton Gate. The march got good coverage across local TV, radio, press and online. In this day and age to get 200 people to a demonstration on a Saturday morning is no mean feat. Claims by those supporting the Tesco development that 'it's just a few NIMBYs that object' are clearly wrong.
It's not too late to submit comments to the council's planning department if you object about the scheme and its impact on the area.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Hi Tony
ReplyDeleteCould you explain to me why the juggernaut march did not start at the Bedminster end of North St?
It appears that lip service is being paid when supporting local shops/businesses,
in reality the only support given in the area seams to be for the section of North St, from the green down to Ashton park.
Would this happen to be because the campaign is centered around and led by the Southville side of North st.
This is confirmed when counting the number of posters displayed in that area when compaired to the diminishing number of posters on the directly affected Ashton side of North St.
If as suggested by some Berate members social housing were to be built at Ashton gate, then it could have a dramatic effect on the residents currently living in that area.
It is possible that Tesco would be a better alternative for them than this proposal.
Were they asked before this was suggested?
The Berate group portray themselves as the voice of Bedminster and Southville Yet out of a combined population of twenty thousand residents, only 200 could get out of bed in support of their march, poor show really when put in perspective.
Regards
Richard Lane
Richard
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I presume you are the same Richard Lane who posted the 'Yes to Tesco' petition on Bristol City Councils consultation website?
To answer your questions:
Start of the march - you'll have to ask BERATE that question. I presume they chose North Street Green to meet because it is an area where people could congregate without blocking roads or pavements.
Traders - this will have an impact on all traders in Bedminster and Southville, but the closer you are to the proposed store the more likely your business is to be affected. Just look at the East Street shops opposite Asda.
Posters - there are posters all over the area. Funny enough I haven't seen a single poster or notice in a window in Southville or Bedminster that says 'Tesco yes please'. Have you?
Housing alternative - the council says we need 10,000 new homes to meet growing demand for homes and are prepared to build them on green belt land in Ashton Vale. Fact. A 2007 retail survey by DTZ said South Bristol doesn't need and more retails sapce until at least 2026. Fact. The people I've talked to would prefer housing to a stadium.
200 for march, poor show? - It was 200 more than any show of public support for a Tesco. And that's not to mention the hundreds of people who cheered on the marchers. In this day and age getting anyone to give up their time for such a campaign is quite an achievement.
One final comment, it looks like the 'Yes to Tesco' petition has done really well at getting people from South Gloucestershire and North Somerset to sign up for a development that is nowhere near wher they live. And after all that money that Bristol City and its spin doctors have put into an online campaign. Compare that to the 'No petition' that is mostly signed from people living in the area. I think that gives a good impression of what local people want.
We're all entitled to our opinions!
Hi
ReplyDeleteThe march could safely have started by the green in Dean lane, this would have encompassed some of the traders currently being ignored in North St.
Again, why are the shops opposite Asda not being supported then.
Funny enough you haven't seen a poster supporting the Tesco campaign because there isn't a poster campaign.
Is the DTZ up to date with revised population figures? This survey was printed in 2007 before revised population trends were known using figures that are at least three years old. Who's to say its correct as well.
The people I've spoken to don't feel there is any need for traders in North St to worry and they would also like an alternative from sainsbury.
I reiterate 1200 people from an area with a population of 20,000 is not indicative of what the local people want.
If there were a locally available petition to sign in support of Tesco and a visible poster campaign in the area then I'm sure more locals would sign up to it.
There has been no reason to aggravate an area and it's people with an in your face opposite view campaign.
Let me tell you now that BCFC has not put a single penny into my online petition.
My only support has come through the supporteres trust and that is not financial.
Please either prove this allegation or retract it and make a public apology.
Although you say about people not from the area signing my petition you seem to forget that these people use the area and spend their money in the area and are probably more local than the residents of Southville who seem to come from all corners of the world according to the names on the petition.
Richard Lane
Richard Lane - try reading the double page spread in today's (18 September) Evening Post. I think you'll find out what local people think of City selling off its ground to tescos!
ReplyDeleteRichard
ReplyDeleteThe march - as I said first time, take that up with BERATE.
No pro poster campaign? - well that goes to show most local people are not as enthusaistic as you or they might have started a poster campaign.
Numbers - we can trade statistics all night, but can I just point out that City have an average crowd of about 14,000 this season and less than 10 per cent have signed your petition. So using your logic 90 per cent of the people that regularly attend Ashton Gate haven't voted for a Tesco. Let alone all the arm chair fans around the world. Pretty poor I'd say.
Petition costs - I didn't suggest they'd paid you. E-petitions are free to set up and I'm sure you did that all on your own. But the number of signatures didn't really start to increase until mid August when things like http://www.supportcity.net suddenly appeared? Who was behind this? The Supporters Trust? Well it doesn't look anything like its website. So who did the slick design? It was Wagstaffs Design (based in Bedford and London, not Bristol) who proudly boast Tesco as one of its clients. It also has Everton FC. Hang on a minute aren't Everton trying to build a new stadium with the support of... err... Tesco!
Local - how can people who visit the area for a few hours once a fortnight be more local than the people who live here?
Look I respect your view. You're a City fan and want a new stadium for your club. But don't try and make out that the majority of local Ashton and Southville people are somehow in favour of Tesco. They are not.
It is interesteing to see how the pro Tesco people are starting to get a bit panicked about BERATE's sucess recently. Especially with the news that City don't even own 20 per cent of the land for the new store.
Hi Tony
ReplyDeleteJust back off holiday sorry for the late response.
Can you you honestly tell me that the residents of Southville have not used or canvassed support from outside of their area for their campaign?
This petition was started by me and I now have the help of the supporters Trust and it's members.
I say again that no poster campaign is in operation because we don't want an in your face situation such as Berate are conducting.
You still haven't explained why most of the shopkeepers/traders are being ommited from the groups campaign, the same group that claims to represent them.
As I've said elsewhere, when the transient population of Southville pack their bags and go in search of pastures green then BCFC will still be there with it,s locally based and travelling support to fuel the shops, pubs, food outlets and other establishments that it has for over a hundred years and will hopefully continue to do so.
You say again that the majority of residents are against Tesco, it is plain to see by the low numbers signing from the area that this is not the case.
When you consider that these people are local, that it is easy to motivate people against something as opposed to support it, that they have access to the petition, that they attend the local shops and they are influenced by their neighbours, then the support for Tesco from a group of people that only frequent the area for a few hours once a fortnight is I would say pretty impressive.
I have never tried to make out what you say, merely offered a different opinion.
What has not owning 20 percent of the land got to do with anything, have you never heard of leases and them being sold/transfered?
The level of opposition from a group of residents long known for their opposition to anything is not unexpected but I think the term panick is rather ambitious in it's use.
Cheers
Rich