Truth is out - planners said no to Tesco at Ashton Gate

Winter is generally a time for hibernation, but anti-Tesco campaign BERATE has risen from its slumber to report on the detailed planning report on the now scrapped proposal to build a Tesco at Ashton Gate. The report would have gone to the Council's planning development committee on 5 November and the planners had said ‘no’.

You can read a summary of the findings on the BERATE website and find a link to the full report. So what does this mean for Sainsbury’s when they put forward their proposal next spring to build a giant store at Ashton Gate? One thing is for sure, it is far, far from being a ‘done deal’.

What a week!

Last week battle lines were drawn and all sides of the 'Tesco at Ashton Gate' debate were preparing for a final push before Bristol City Council's planning committee meeting on 5 November. Well what a major change in such a short period of time.

$teve Lansdown and City decide that they want Sainsbury not Tesco for Ashton Gate. Planning meeting postponed and then the application is withdrawn. Planners recommend a 'yes' to the stadium but not all the housing that goes with the scheme. And BERATE decide its work is done and announce it is disbanding.

Simply Southville would like to pay tribute to BERATE and especially Chris and Tom who have given so much time to the campaign. BERATE wanted to stop Tesco and a third superstore in greater Bedminster. It did it.

We will have to see what the Sainsbury application brings and there will still be community concerns about traffic, pollution and the impact on local stores. Simply Southville will be watching! However, it has to be better than what was originally proposed by City and Tesco.

Will there be a BERATE2? Who knows?

Bristol blogosphere buzzes with Tesco talk

Harold Wilson once said ’A week is a long time in politics’. Well having been away from the keyboard at Simply Southville Towers we’ve had a bit of catching up to do with cyber comment on the proposed Tesco development at A$hton Gate.

Having had a summer sabbatical Southvile Roads blog sprang back into action to comment on the sudden appearance of yellow lines around A$hton Gate making match day parking more difficult. Perhaps they need a new stadium. Strange.

On the BERATE website we find out that God is now on the side of the anti-Tesco campaign, as Bedminster Churches condemn the superstore plan.

At long last our local MP Dawn Primarolo has come off the fence on the Tesco issue and is now swinging on the gate. The Evening Post reports: ‘Ms Primarolo says in a statement: "I would prefer to see affordable and social housing at Ashton Gate. I do not believe there is a shortage of supermarkets in the area. Bristol City Football Club own the majority of the land on the site and I accept that they need to maximise the return for the sale of this site, in order to build the new stadium. This stadium would be fantastic for the future of our city, and is essential to progressing the World Cup bid. It is for members of the Development Control Committee to decide on the appropriateness of this application." See why she’s a politician? She’s tried to appease everyone in one statement. No outright ‘no’ to the superstore, just a ‘prefer’ to see houses. Roll on the election.

The Bristol Blogger reports on the Council trying to sell its share of the A$hton Gate site to the multi-millionaire Lansdown on the cheap. You have to read the comments alongside this post to see some of our elected members squirm and spin. The Bristol Blogger also reports on the growing wealth of Steve ‘there is no other way to fund this stadium, honest Guv’ Lansdown. And for a bit of fun the BB has created a make-your-own-mock-Bristol-City-need-a-store poster. Hours of fun.

Simply Southville says, 'No to a suprstore and no to Tesco'.

Big turnout at public meeting for Tesco development

Just back from the BERATE public meeting and impressed to see a full house (well church) with around 200 people attending the meeting. Shame it wasn't 202 people but our MP, Dawn Primarolo and Bristol City Chief Executive, Colin Sexstone, couldn't make it!

Although the meeting was open to pro and anti Tesco supporters, during the hour-and-a-half meeting not one person stood up in favour of the development. Even with the assurance of two police officers in the room!

The BERATE campaign refreshed its arguments against the store, which I won't repeat here ( see previous posts on Simply Southville or visit the BERATE website). However, Simply Southville did find out some of the interesting new facts and news. These are:

• The traffic assessment provided for the application by BCFC looks a bit shaky and nobody has done any work on what a new 30,000 stadium at Ashton Vale and a Tesco store would mean on match days in the future.


• As well as the 900+ e-signatures on the petition on the council's website there are a further 1,200 on a paper petition.


• George Ferguson announced that he and a fellow architect are going to donate time from their respective practices to provide an alternative sustainable vision for the Ashton Gate site. This will be complete with a proposed commercial value for such a development.


• City and its spin doctors are offering pre-paid letters for people to sign and send in to support the development.


• The Tesco proposal is an 'enabling' application, meaning that it is formally linked to the stadium development.

I believe (but not 100 per cent sure) Southville's two city councillors were in the audience, but neither decided to make a comment or ask a question. Strange for politicians!?!

So the fight continues and it was good to see new people coming along tonight to join the campaign. It's not too late to write in and oppose this application.

BERATE launches anti-superstore film

Local documentary film maker, Lucy Swingler, has produced a new film that documents the campaign to prevent the building of a giant Tesco Extra superstore at Ashton Gate Stadium.

You can watch the film now on YouTube.

During the 10 minute film, local residents and shop keepers in North Street, Southville, describe the history of the street, their shops and the area, and explain why its such a great community to be part of. They also explain why they don't want the new superstore at the stadium site and what they would like to see there instead.

Lucy, who has worked on a range of historical and factual programmes says that she was motivated to create the film after talking to shop keepers about their worries over the store. She says: 'I use the North Street shops a lot, so I wanted to show the real fear that some have that a store will put their livelihoods at risk and jeopardise the regeneration that's taken place here. I also wanted to capture the central role that North Street now plays in the community.'

The film will be shown publicly for the first time at the meeting arranged for tomorrow night at St.Francis's Church on North Street (7.30pm). Local politicians, councillors and members of the city's planning committee, as well as a representative from Bristol City Football Club and local community groups have been invited to come along to discuss the proposed store and see the film.

Chris Uttley, speaking for the campaign said: 'We hope the film will be viewed as part of our submission to the planning application. Hopefully it demonstrates to the council and others the human face behind the damage that we believe the store will do to our community and why we value what we have now a great deal.'

Congratulations to BERATE on human juggernaut

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.

BERATE juggernaut rolled out to demonstrate

BERATE is holding a public 'juggernaut' event on 12 September on North Street and Ashton Road. The walk starts at North Street Green at 10.30am and demonstrators will walk the length of North Street leading then to the entrance of Bristol City's ground on Ashton Road.

BERATE announce public meeting in September

BERATE the campaign group opposed to the proposed Tesco development at Ashton Gate is holding a public meeting on 17 September 2009. The meeting starts at 7.30pm and is being held at St Frances Church in North Street.

Come and find out more about the BERATE campaign against the proposed giant superstore development at Ashton Gate.

Labour councillors oppose Tesco, or do they?

BERATE has today published a copy of a letter that our three local labour councillors (Mark Bradshaw and Colin Smith in Bedminster; and Sean Beynon in Southville) have sent to Tesco Chief Executive, Sir Terry Leahy. At last they have appeared to have jumped off the fence and come out against the proposed development at Ashton Gate. Three cheers? But hang on a minute is that what they really mean?

After a bit of preliminary waffle in their letter they say in the fifth paragraph that: 'We have several Tesco Extra stores in the City and we understand the format; the standard template for such a store would, in our view, not be appropriate for Ashton Gate'. So far, so good.

They add: 'There is a balance between independent businesses and national brands. This balance has served our community well (and already includes two Tesco Express stores) but the scale and product depth of an Extra format store runs the risk of weakening this range of local provision, both food and non-food.' Promising?

They continue by saying: 'Bristol already has a major part of the City designated as an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and there are real concerns that congestion and air pollution pressures will grow if an Extra store is built given the scale of parking offered and the destination nature of such a store'. Well said. And they also describe: '... engagement with the community as weak and incomplete.'

So there can be no doubt then our three labour councillors will join Charlie Bolton in opposing a supermarket development at Ashton Gate? Well, maybe no.

In the penultimate paragraph of their letter to Tesco they say: 'We ask that your application should include a mix of affordable and other tenure residential space'. So is the reality that they are happy to support a Tesco store at Ashton Gate providing it drops the 'Extra' title and there are a few flats thrown in for good measure?

A conspiracy theorist might suggest that perhaps the 'South Bristol Three' have had early site of a slightly watered down planning application and are ready to claim credit for changing Tesco's mind. Well of course we'd never suggest such a thing at Simply Southville.

What we want to see at Ashton Gate is affordable housing and no supermarket!

Whether it is a Tesco Extra or just a large Tesco the potential negative effect on small independent shops remain and it would be a wasted opportunity for Bristol City's current ground.

Why not read the letter on the BERATE website and leave a comment here at Simply Southville to say if you agree with our view.

BERATE message delivered across south Bristol

BERATE, the campaign group opposed to the proposed Tesco development at Ashton Gate, is this week getting its message out to over 10,000 homes in Ashton, Southville and Bedminster. A leaflet outlining BERATE's opposition to the development is being delivered across the Greater Bedminster area urging people to sign a petition against the giant superstore and asking them to write to the council and their local councillors.

The leaflet has a 'Tesno' poster on one side, which is beginning to appear in windows across the area. It also contains BERATE's three main reasons why it, and its supporters, think the superstore is a bad idea. These are:

• The area is already well supplied with supermarkets and a new giant superstore would have a detrimental effect on the small independent shops in the area.


• The development will increase traffic congestion, worsen air quality and make the streets around the area less safe.


• A large superstore on a giant car park is a poor use of the site. What the are needs is affordable housing and better community facilities.

Of course let's not forget the effect on the residents that live next to the proposed development which is likely to be a 24-7 store serviced by a flet of lorries. Not to mention a new petrol station.

You can sign the petition at several shops in North Street, or online at Bristol City Council's website. You can also voice your objections to our two ward councillors. Charlie Bolton, who has already made it quite clear he's opposed to this development (charles.bolton@bristol.gov.uk); and Sean Beynon who has yet to show his cards on this issue (sean.beynon@bristol.gov.uk). Let's hope Sean's Bristol City season ticket doesn't sway him from doing the right thing for his constituents?

Over a 1,000 sign to say 'no' to Tesco

BERATE has just announced that the online and paper petitions have already collected over a 1,000 signatures against the proposed giant superstore at Ashton Gate. Read more on the BERATE website and on Bristol 24-7, the city's independent news site.

BERATE developing startegy to tackle superstore development

BERATE the campaign group set up to oppose the proposed development of a giant Tesco superstore at Ashton Gate is rapidly gaining support among the local community. Local residents; city councillors past and present; and local business people have come together to draw up plans to fight the development.

A steering group has been formed and resources are being divided between running a publicity campaign to make the public aware of BERATE's opposition to the giant superstore; a campaign to lobby the city council over the proposals; and developing a strategy to challenge the Tesco development through the planning process.

BERATE has already developed its own blog and a Twitter site. It also has a Facebook group with nearly 300 people already signed up to support the campaign. If you want to show your support to BERATE's campaign, why not print off its latest poster and display in your window.

Labour councillors sit firmly on the fence over Ashton Gate

BERATE asked our four local councillors what their view were on the Tesco development at Ashton Gate. Southville Green Councillor, Charlie Bolton, is quite clear. He's against it. Simply Southville says well done Charlie. We know where you stand and we appreciate that.

However, out three Labour councillors are sitting firmly on the fence. Unable to reply in their own right they drafted a joint response. Lots of waffle that says very little. Come on fellas are you for or against? What's wrong, need a focus group to inform your view? Or has your Whip told you to keep your heads down until the World Cup bid is in? Read their 'statement' at the BERATE website.

Evening Post gives space to anti-Tesco view at last

Having spun out a rosy picture about the Tesco development for the past few weeks, the Post has at last reported that not everyone is happy with the proposed superstore at Ashton Gate. In an article today it featured BERATE and its campaign against the Tesco proposal.

E-petition launched against Tesco development

Local councillor, Charlie Bolton, has set up an e-petition on behalf of BERATE for people to register their opposition to the proposed Tesco development at Ashton Gate. So if you haven't signed one of the paper petitions why not do it online? Let's make sure the city council knows the level of opposition to this proposal. Every name counts.

More from the BERATE meeting on 3 July

It was slightly disappointing that none of the four councillors that represent Southville and Bedminster wards attended the meeting last night. As far as I know as least two had given their apologies. However, Mark Wright, the Lib Dem Councillor for Cabot Ward did attend. So fair play to him.

It also appears that two of our four local councillors are Bristol City season ticket holders and so won’t be able to participate or vote in any decisions about the future use of Ashton Gate. This is because they are deemed to have an interest in the result of the planning application.

It looks that there will be another ‘consultation’ event at Ashton Gate on Tuesday 7 July at 7pm. A few of the residents that live close to the ground have had a letter, but many have not? What is City and its PR spin doctors up to?

Word is that the Tesco planning application will be submitted at the end of July and the formal planning consultation will take place from mid August to early September. Simply Southville will of course highlight any developments on this front. With the World Cup looming it looks like the planning application will be dealt with very quickly. Perhaps by the end of October?

Walking around Southville today I was pleased to see BERATE posters starting to appear in windows and there is already a BERATE petition in the Southville Deli. The campaign is starting to gain momentum, but we don’t have a minute to lose.

BERATE launched to oppose Tesco development

BERATE (Bedminster Residents Against Tesco’s Expansion into Ashton Gate) was formally launched at public meeting at the Southville Centre on Friday 3 July. Nearly 70 people attended the meeting, a mix or residents and business people from Southville, Bedminster and Ashton Gate (the 'Bedmisnter' in BERATE refers to the Greater Bedminster area).

The main aims of the Group are to:

• Use the planning process to oppose the proposed Tesco Superstore at Ashton Gate; and
• To redress the media coverage so far, so both sides of the argument can be heard.

Work on the second aim has already started with BERATE organiser, Chris Uttley, being interviewed on Star 107.2FM and Original 106.5 FM. BERATE also got a mention on Bristol 24-7 the city's new online news website.

To get more information and to join the BERATE mailing list email berate_ashtongate@hotmail.com

More news on BERATE's first meeting tomorrow...