Last night’s meeting 
About 200 gather in Stokes Croft, Bristol to discuss the shock-news of Tesco opening a soulless supermarket in the area.
Not so fast, o supermarket giant – the local people of Stokes Croft want a say.
Local communities need local shops, not another soulless chain that swallows resources.
The intended site is a comedy club – they must be joking, as the campaign headline on Facebook says.
The area Tesco has chosen to site its 32nd supermarket in Bristol is Stokes Croft near St Paul’s.
The home territory of The People’s Republic of Stokes Croft which trials new ideas and celebrates creativity.
The very opposite of Tescopolis.
Supermarkets kill local business. The small shopkeeper does not survive.
The tragedy is Stokes Croft is an increasingly happening place.
Take Canteen, which serves seasonal and local food at affordable prices, hosts great music nights and is designed by award-winning architect, George Ferguson, above newly-reclaimed office space at Hamilton House run by Co-Exist.
Tesco’s planning application to change the use “from stand-up comedy venue to shop” was done under another name last November.
The minimum of public consultation took place – no responses were received – so no one knew until last week that Bristol County Council had given Tesco permission to set up shop.
Not even St Paul’s Unlimited, the body set up by Bristol City Council “to provide an open, accountable, community-led organisation to advocate and lobby for the community of St Paul’s”.
There is still time to stop the supermarket which by the way already has a Metro Express five minutes from the proposed site.
According to Rachael Marmite of the Planning Club (she knows her stuff …and how to explain it in plain English), the Bristol City City Council planning officer said:
“An inordinate amount of (responses) could rescind change of use.”
So lots of responses are planned, including surveying local traders and neighbours, petitions, lobbying councillors and a pledge bank.
Find out the latest at the No to Tesco in Stokes Croft campaign website.
And get general campaign material and advice from Tescopoly.
The people of Stokes Croft want a meaningful consultation.
Being a creative community, expect some street theatre along the way.
“If we all make an effort, it will be easier to achieve,” says co-organiser, Claire, at the first meeting last night.
“Every little helps,” added someone else in the audience, to laughter.
Real Food Lover 