New protest camp goes up in Lancaster with local residents in support – nobody wants a supermarket with a huge parking here!
News Release
From: Lancaster Citizens’ Alliance
For immediate release
Mon 8 October 2007
Angry residents occupy proposed supermarket site
This morning Lancaster residents moved on to council owned land in Scotforth – the site of a proposed supermarket, rumoured to be Tesco’s. Locals are shocked by secret moves in the Council’s Cabinet to sell off land at Lawson Bridge, off the A6. Their message: they will not allow the council to sell off their town for what they call “dodgy development”.
Says local resident Deirdre Mason: “The council may love the idea of Tesco’s, Centros Miller and the Bailrigg Science Park, but local residents are concerned about the threat to local businesses and the unique character of the city! These developments will be the death of Lancaster. Time to say ENOUGH! to all these sordid schemes. Let’s send a clear message to all these developers: they are not welcome in our town.”
The occupation will last for 24 hours and will be followed by a protest outside the Cabinet meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 9th Oct) at Lancaster Town Hall from 9.30am onwards.
Residents are concerned about the way the Council is selling off Lancaster piecemeal, leading to a town crippled by gridlock, and having only “clone town” shops that are to be found in any high street in the country. “The council is blinkered when it comes to recognising the historical value of our town, the
vibrancy and high quality of the local traders.” says Stephen Dickinson of Scotforth. “They sold off our market – it’s now half dead. Now they want to see off the rest of the town centre with Centros Miller’s proposed monstrosity and this mega supermarket in Scotforth. The time has come to say ‘Enough!’. It’s
time for our councillors to listen to us!”
-ENDS-
For further information please contact Deirdre Mason at the protest camp on:
07798 745613
Photo opportunities:
Mon 1pm at the protest camp, Lawsons Bridge, Scotforth Road, Lancaster
Tuesday 10am at Lancaster Town Hall
Notes for the Editor:
1 The land threatened by supermarket development and currently under occupation is near Lawson’s Bridge, between the railway line and the A6 (Scotforth Road). Lancaster City Council owns about 5.5acres there, immediately to the south of Ray’s Drive.
2 The land is currently rented to a farmer for use as pasture. It is also well used by Scotforth residents for dog-walking and other kinds of recreation, and there is a community woodland area at the northern end which is threatened by the development.
3 Lancaster Council Cabinet will be discussing the proposed sale in their Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 9th October. The meeting takes place at Lancaster Town Hall at 10am.
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Update – The fight carries on (and we will win!)
At this morning’s Cabinet meeting of Lancaster City Council councillors voted 8-2 to go ahead with starting the process of flogging the land for a supermarket. This despite an overwhelming display of public outrage. Hundreds of people wrote to the Cabinet Councillors over the week. Scotforth Parish Council deciding unanimously to oppose the supermarket in an emergency meeting last night night and making a presentation to the Cabinet this morning. Dozens of residents camping out in the threatened field. A well attended rally this morning. All this happened in the space of five days – since we found out about the proposed decision.
Cabinet Councillors this morning had the guts to refuse even to consult people prior to the sale.
The Conservative leader of the Council, Cllr Roger Mace said “we’ve had lots
of emails so there has been a consultation already”. At this point several members of the public could no longer contain their anger – shouting “that was us contacting you, not you consulting us” and storming out.
Lib Dem Councillor for Scotforth East (which borders onto Lawson’s Bridge)
John Gilbert said that “starting to market the land will allow consultation
to take place” and “the public can consult all they want” (sic).
This ridicules any pretense of a democratic system (with the notable exception of our Green Councillors who blew the whistle on the issue and joined in with the protest).
However we are only at the start of this process and already hundreds of people are furious about the plans and determined to resist them every step of the way. We have already fought off two planning applications for this site and we shall do so again.
In the meantime, maybe we all need to reconsider the way we shop – kick the habit and stop shopping at Tesco/Asda/Sainsbury’s/etc. Get to know your local shop keepers, support independent small shops, set up food co-ops, before it is too late and they as well as your green fields are gone forever. These supermarket giants are riding rough-shod over communities and the environment everywhere.
To find out more about these issues visit: http://www.tescopoly.org/
Oh, by the way, we’ve not forgotten about the monstrous Centros Miller plans for our city centre either. We’re just as determined to see them off too! More info here: http://www.itsourcity.org.uk/
ENOUGH Is ENOUGH!