Tesco not a done deal says Bridgwater Forward



'The Brewery Field, Northgate'

 Local campaign group Bridgwater Forward is concerned that Sedgemoor District Council’s proposal to sell off a major public space in Bridgwater’s town centre to supermarket giant Tesco is being interpreted as a fait accompli, even before a planning application has been made by Tesco.

Sedgemoor District Council itself says: “Further consideration of whether the Tesco proposals are right for the Northgate site and the impact on the town and its surrounding villages will be decided via the planning process. As with any major planning application, there will be full consultation with all interested parties, including the general public, before any decision is made.”

Major concerns have been expressed by local organisations and the general public about loss of open space, noise levels, traffic congestion, and impact on existing retail outlets leading to further decline in the town centre. At 60,000 square feet, Tesco’s planned store will dwarf surrounding buildings and dominate the skyline.  All that has happened so far is that the Tories who control Sedgemoor District Council have agreed to sell the publicly-owned Northgate site to Tesco Stores Ltd. Tesco will now have to submit their proposals in the form of a planning application

Tescos- a done deal ??


“It is wrong that our town should be reduced to a turf war between major supermarket chains, and that those people who are elected to make decisions and spend our money on our behalf have no better vision for the future of our town than this. We need to preserve what is left of the historic charm of the town, enhance leisure facilities, and develop and encourage variety in our local shops” said Secretary Glen Burrows.
Bridgwater Forward firmly believes that Bridgwater does not need another superstore, and invites people and organisations to get involved in the planning process when Tesco submits its planning application, by sending letters of objection, joining lobbies and  protests and attending Council meetings to show elected representatives how strongly they feel.

GLEN BURROWS glenburrows@btinternet.com / 07722087675

NEW VENUE FOR BRIDGWATER FORWARD MEETINGS

The next meeting of BRIDGWATER FORWARD will be held at the RAILWAY CLUB, Wellington Road Bridgwater at 7pm on Tuesday 24th May.

Topics under consideration will include the SALE OF NORTHGATE and attendant issues .

BRIDGWATER FORWARD SAYS: USE YOUR VOTE ON MAY 5TH

Lukins, Cudlipp,Kendall & Tucker

Bridgwater electors met last night at the Railway Club in Bridgwater, to discuss local issues with four candidates in the elections for Sedgemoor District Council, taking place on May 5th.

Bob Cudlipp (Independent, Wyndham) , Judith Kendall (Liberal Democrat, Victoria), Roderick Lukins (Independent, Victoria) and Ian Tucker (Labour, Dunwear) all expressed opposition to the demolition of the Splash and to the sale of the Northgate site to Tesco.

Apologies were received from the Green Party. Anger was expressed that an invitation to Conservative candidates to attend had been totally ignored.

Questions and discussion ranged from the lack of public toilets, bus shelters and facilities for young people, to concerns that Bridgwater is over-supplied with supermarkets and nuclear power stations.

“People’s lack of interest in local politics is shown in the increasingly low numbers who turn out to vote”, said Chair Glen Burrows, “ with numbers as low as 27% in some wards. This isn’t just because people are apathetic. It’s also because they have no faith in many of our local politicians. If you attend meetings of the local council you can generally understand why. There is an enormous gap between voters and politicians, and meetings like this are an important step in closing that gulf by bringing people together to chew over important local issues. Most of us don’t see candidates on our doorstep, don’t attend party political meetings, and the only contact we have is with a leaflet shoved through our doors during elections”.

Bridgwater Forward exists to put pressure on Bridgwater councillors to be more accountable, listen to local people and make sensible decisions about how to spend our money. Why, for example, don’t elected councillors arrange regular ward meetings to keep in touch with their electors? Why can’t there be information and training made available to help people understand how local politics works, and how they can get involved? 26th April 2011 was the 25th Anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and a minute’s silence was held at the end of the meeting, in memory of the thousands of dead and dying who are the legacy of that event.

BRIDGWATER FORWARD SAYS: MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT!

Bridgwater Forward - Finding what the people think

 Campaigning group Bridgwater Forward has invited candidates for the forthcoming District Council elections to answer questions put by local electors before votes are cast on May 5th


The meeting will be held on Tuesday 26th April, at 7.30pm, at the Railway Club, Wellington Road, Bridgwater and all electors in the Bridgwater area are welcome to attend.

Said Bridgwater Forward Chairs Sally Jones & Dave Chapple: “ Local elections are generally ruled by apathy, with the majority of people not even bothering to vote. We hope that, in Bridgwater, things will start to change. Recent events, like the destruction of our swimming pool, and the decision to sell publicly-owned land at Northgate to a supermarket giant famous for destroying town centres, mean it’s time we started looking more closely at the credentials and calibre of those who are elected every four years to spend our money and make decisions on our behalf.  So we have invited each party to send a couple of candidates for District Council seats in Bridgwater along to the meeting, where members of the public will have a chance to listen to their plans for Bridgwater, and to ask them direct questions. We hope that candidates will welcome this chance to discuss local issues with local voters”

 Questions sent in advance to the Secretary will be given priority at the meeting.

Fun for all the family

Tel. 01278 450562,

email  glenburrows@btinternet.com.

1 Blake Place, Bridgwater, TA6 5AU

NOTHING SHORT OF A CRIME AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF BRIDGWATER

Hope turned to anger at Bridgwater House  today as Bridgwater Forward supporters turned up in strength to cheer on a Labour motion to get the Councils decision to sell Northgate to Tesco's rescinded. On the back of the tremendously succesful Town Meeting two days previously where townspeople overwhelmingly rejected the supermarket proposals  the audience had hoped to see Councillors at least reconsider the position and withdraw the final decision until a new council elected after May 5th could reconsider the many points raised by the motion proposed by Labour Councillors Kathy Pearce and Brian Smedley.

Ian Tucker

Ian Tucker, speaking for Bridgwater Forward at the meeting said "From the decision to close Splash it would seem that the Council have rushed through every decision as fast as possible, in some cases ignoring their own policy. The decision to sell Northgate, a prime site in the centre of town to yet another large supermarket chain is nothing short of a crime against the people of Bridgwater. Why has the monitoring officer gone against the council's own policy and given only two weeks advertised notice in the press of the intended sale of the Brewery field? Why are opposition councillors being denied certain details about the contract? Surely a meaningful debate cannot take place unless all members know all the facts? It would seem that tesco is giving nothing back to the town for building their giant supermarket. Is the council really satisfied that the consturction of additional retail stores on Northgate will revitalise the town centre and why have they not pursued Tesco for leisure facilities on Northgate which will bring people in and help revitalise the centre?"

Bob Cudlipp

Mr Bob Cudlipp addressed the council by giving a report on the Public Meeting at the town hall held 2 nights before saying "almost 200 people were present, numerous people spoke in favour of saving the Brewery field, only 1 spoke and voted in favour of Tescos. This is what the people of Bridgwater want and you should listen to us!"

After Cllrs Kathy Pearce and Brian Smedley had moved the motion and Cllr David Preece  had put the Tory position, Labour Councillor for Eastover Julian Taylor rose to speak drawing attention to the promises and failures of the ASDA development. Hardly had the debate got under way when suddenly Tory leader Duncan McGinty drew the discussions to a close and moved to   the vote  with all Tories voting to reject the challenge and thereby crush the hopes of the Townspeople.

26 Tories voted against 11 Labour & LibDem with only the Chair abstaining. 

 

Labour cries of "You're voting to stifle the debate!" were met by a wall of Tory silence and  a forest of uniformly raised arms in support of their leader.

An angry Ian Tucker grabbed the michrophone and said "You're all sheep!"

A TOWN UNITED

200 people pack the town hall for the 'Parish meeting'

Almost 200 people packed the Town Hall in Bridgwater to attend the first ever Parish meeting held in the town and roundly condemned the decision of Sedgemoor District Council to sell the Northgate land to Supermarket giant Tescos. The meeting was chaired by Town Mayor Cllr Bill Monteith and after a passionate debate the motion was overwhelmingly supported with only 1 solitary vote against.

Glen Burrows moves the motion

Moving the motion, Glen Burrows (secretary of Campaign Group Bridgwater Forward) described the evening as a "very important exercise in public participation, because our main criticism of Sedgemoor District Council is their complete lack of Public Consulation. We are all here united in our desire to preserve and enhance the town centre.  We want people to have the confidence to shop in Bridgwater. The answer to this is NOT to drop a massive 60,000 square feet supermarket into one of our major open spaces! When SDC did consult a few years ago through the Hepher Dixon report the people said they didn't want any more supermarkets and they did want a leisure led development on the site. SDC admits the ASDA development in Eastover failed and had the opposite effect to regenerate the area. Why have 'public engagement if you then do the opposite! Tonight we need to persuade Sedgemoor to review this disastrous decision and start to talk about what is really needed in Bridgwater! When a public open space is gone it's gone forever!"

Angela Tarr seconds

Seconding the motion , swimming pool campaigner Angela Tarr  said "The Brewery field was purchased for the people of  Bridgwater by the Borough Council in  the 1960's  and it has been gradually eroded over the years.This is a valued open space with a decent ammount of grass  , several trees and in the middle of a residential area. It shouldn't be sold to any developer who can then do what they like to it! It would be a total betrayal of trust to the people of Bridgwater and I object strongly!"

Linda Brigg ,said "Tescos says it will bring extra jobs but this doesn't add up. Families have their budgets and they won't increase that to shop at more supermarkets so jobs will be lost elsewhere. There will be chaos on the roads and Bridgwater won't be going anywhere fast. We don't need yet another supermarket!"

Sally Jones said "How long will the Brewery Field remain an open space once Tescos get hold of it?  Tesco won't bring back what the town has lost. Who will want to trade next to Tesco!"

Townspeople engage in the debate

Patricia Walsh, an Anson Way resident, said "People need to realise the scale of what is being proposed. Morrisons is 22,000 square feet, Asda is 35,000 and Sainsburys 44,000.....Tesco will be 60,000! It will take 12 to 15 months to construct, they'll excavate down to 12 feet, pile drivers, bulldozers and then 33 lorries a day will service it."

Dave Chapple "Meeting offers hope"

Dave Chapple said "This meeting offers us hope. The hope that people in this town will not forever be ruled by Conservatives who don;t live in the town! The old Bridgwater Borough council had one of the best Housing and Social Services records in the County and if we're going to get back to a position where we have a Town Council  run for the people of the town and eliminate Tory rule. "

Nick Gibson said "Brewery Field was given to the people of Bridgwater and so it should pass to the town Council. We've had con-con-con-consultation and we don't want a supermarket and now it seems we're getting one. It's just another example of the rape and pillage of Bridgwater by Sedgemoor District Council. If they don;t want something - dump it in Bridgwater, and anything in Bridgwater they can make money from, they sell. It makes me angry!"

Nick Gibson "It makes me angry"

Tory market stall holder Lance Duddridge admitted he didn't know if Tescos would be a good or a bad thing but he felt there was too much doom and gloom around and thought maybe it would bring more people into the town.

Alec Western said "Theres a lot more to life than another supermarket and especially something that will look so hideous.  This is our town, there's no need to sell the whole of the Brewery field. What about peoples quality of life? To lose that land forever is treasonable. What are we leaving to our children? What else are we going to lose? "

Kathy Wilson said "The town centre is already dying on it's feet so what has Bridgwater got left? What happened to our swimming pool which they said was past it's sell by date? Well, Brean Leisure centre is doing very well with its flumes   sold to them at a knock down price !"

Glen Burrows summed up the debate "When people talk about 'living in the real world' they're right, we do have to make some big decisions, but when  Sedgemoor says theres no money  they are wrong. When they need to find money they can find it. In the 'real world' I wouldn't pay a Chief Executive £92,000  a year. There are Elections this May -Don't vote for the people who voted to demolish the Splash!"

The Mayor calls for the vote

The Mayor Bill Monteith said "The position of the Town Council has always been that SDC shouldn't have demolished the Splash, any swimming facility should be town centre based, and the Supermarket development proposed is not condusive to the Town Centre. This has come about because SDC are cash strapped  and once you've cut your staff and your services then you sell things. If it wasn't for the Town Council picking up the pieces we would have lost the Museum and the Town hall by April 1st, Grass wouldn't be cut, there'd be no public toilets and we've also taken on the Allotments and the Cemetries. You're right the Tories don't live here and their policies are regretable and reprehensible."

The meeting voted on the motion which called on the Town Council to oppose the sale of Northgate to Tescos. The room was a forest of hands in support with one lonely Tescos fan exercising his democratic right.

People leave the historical meeting UNITED

The motion will now go to the Bridgwater Town Council meeting of April 14th.

All eyes now turn to the SDC meeting of Wednesday 30th March where the Labour Group have tabled a motion calling on SDC to rescind the decision to sell the Northgate land to Tescos.

TOWN MEETING 7.30 MONDAY 28TH MARCH

Bridgwater Forward is urging everyone to attend the special TOWN MEETING to be held at the Town Hall on Monday 28th March at 7.30.  The only item on the agenda will be one urging the Town Council to reject the Tesco's development on Northgate. Any elector of Bridgwater can attend, speak and vote, although the recommendation will then go to the 16 Town Councillors for a final decision on the motion. 

The meeting will be chaired by the Mayor Cllr Bill Monteith.

On Wednesday 30th March the Labour Group have submitted an urgent motion  to the Sedgemoor District Council Meeting (2.30) calling on the decision to sell Northgate to be rescinded.  This will be the last SDC meeting before ther new council is elected on May 5th.