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Schoolchildren join battle against new Tesco
5:57pm Saturday 8th March 2008
PEOPLE power was in action this morning, as a band of concerned schoolchildren and parents urged people to fight to keep a new supermarket away.
Tesco has applied for a third time to redevelop the old police house and set up an Express shop in The Parade, Bourne End.
But today leaflets were handed out and posters put up in the village centre to remind people they still have time to oppose the application, due for review on March 14.
Around 25 parents and children attended the last-minute protest, organised in the last two days.
Karen Wildgoose, mother of Maisie, 9 and Agatha, 6, who attend Juniper Hill School in Flackwell Heath, said: "We have got one week left to raise public awareness to the fact that this is their third application."
Her husband, John, said he was worried that a shop like Tesco would wreck the community feel of Bourne End.
He feared that it would the village's independent shops, which in turn support growers of local produce, and cause traffic to increase in the village.
Mr Wildgoose, who lives in Wharf Lane, said: "Tesco has enough business. I don't think they need to move in and maximise their shareholders dividends at the expense of the local community.
"I think it would be a disaster to lose that, and if we don't look after it it's going to disappear. These shops keep the local community alive."
Schoolchildren at St Paul's C Of E Combined School in Wooburn Green have looked at the development as part of a class project, and some have written letters to Wycombe District Council, opposing the supermarket giant's move.
Mr Wildgoose said: "They were told to do some homework and look at what would happen if a shop like Tesco opened up, from an environmental standpoint."
The supermarket's previous applications, for a Tesco Express and eight flats, and then for a store and six flats, were rejected by WDC in January.
Juliette Bishop, spokesman for Tesco, said: "We have reviewed our plans following the comments made during the previous planning decision, and we feel that we've addressed the issues identified.
"Most importantly we have taken on board the concerns about the scale and density of the proposed building and reduced the number of residential units planned."
Your Say YourBucks
highwayman, Holtspur says...
7:51pm Sat 8 Mar 08
The way we are going our children are the one who will only have Tesco to buy from in the future.
Tesco seem to think everybody wants them; we don't!
We still need the small shops to survive and keep our comunities alive, and not turn every small village and town into copies of each other.
If Tesco arrives in BE we will be left with people parking were they want to 'pop' into the shop for '5 minutes' have you seen Wooburn Green?
erm, ermsville says...
9:47pm Sat 8 Mar 08
Tesco seem to think everybody wants them; we don't!
I do, nice cheap food, yum
Ivor, says...
10:19pm Sat 8 Mar 08
We have got one week left to raise public awareness to the fact that this is their third application.If they get turned down they will just keep re-applying until they get their way. But I admire the resident for their stand and for being so resourceful in their protest. Lets hope the current application gets rejected like the others.
Have you read Ivors blog today? Click on the Opinion link on the menu on the left then click on Readers Bucks Blog.
yabbadabbadoo, wooburn green says...
8:15am Sun 9 Mar 08
Malc London, Gerrards Cross says...
9:11am Sun 9 Mar 08
tom, marlow says...
10:03am Sun 9 Mar 08
The whole process should be a "no-brainer". The council / planning department should be saying very loudly and publicly to tesco that there is no point making further applications as they are not wanted.
I havent seen any reports of anyone campaigning for more tesco.
yabbadabbadoo, wooburn green says...
10:19am Sun 9 Mar 08
It is often cheaper to buy your veg from a greengrocer, meat from a traditional butcher and wine from a local off licence.i actually beg to differ.
greengrocers and off licenses etc can't beat supermarket prices in most things. purely down to the fact that supermarkets buy in much bigger bulk and therefore get things alot cheaper to start with. i do call into a greengrocers on my way home from work if i am desperate and it is dearer to buy from there. sad-but true. it is also more convenient to go to a supermarket as they sell everything there and it saves time.
it used to be cheaper to go over to france and do a booze cruise but now the supermarket prices over here are just as low for most alcohol.
Ron Schreck, says...
5:24pm Tue 11 Mar 08
highwayman wrote:Unless things have changed in the last 4 years, comparing Wooburn Green with Bourne End is like comparing Apples with Bananas. I do not believe that there are any other markets/shops in Wooburn to compete with them. Whereas, there are several shops in Bourne End that would have to compete with "any" new shop in town. Competition is good as it will increase quality and decrease prices. It appears that the protesters are few and not representative of the total population in BE. 10% are against Tesco. What about the other 90%. Is this another example of minority rules and makes the decisions that affect the whole population.
Plus ça change, The way we are going our children are the one who will only have Tesco to buy from in the future. Tesco seem to think everybody wants them; we don't! We still need the small shops to survive and keep our comunities alive, and not turn every small village and town into copies of each other. If Tesco arrives in BE we will be left with people parking were they want to 'pop' into the shop for '5 minutes' have you seen Wooburn Green?
Keith, Wooburn Green says...
3:57pm Tue 18 Mar 08
1) yet more traffic through the village of Bourne End which is already used by heavy traffic to which it is simply not suited.
2) a disastrous effect upon the trade of the many fine independent traders operating within Bourne End, including the fruit & veg shop, the butchers, the new foodhall at Flowerland and the independent vintners/deli in Furlong Road.
3) an unnecessary third national/internation
al supermarket chain within Bourne End (along with Somerfield & Co-op).Mind you, it would help the cause of both those stores if perhaps they took the decision to provide better choice themselves!
4) Tesco's THIRD store in the villages of Bourne End, Wooburn Green & Loudwater. Surely two is MORE than enough?
5) an exacerbation of the existing parking problems within the village.
6) the continued erosion of any sense of identity or individuality for Bourne End as a village.
smokey, high wycombe says...
8:03am Sun 23 Mar 08
Tescos are vile - they are patronsing with their "every little helps" catchphrase.
It doesn't help me - I loathe that shop which suckers people into thinking that they are the "people's supermarket".
Good luck Bourne End and Gerrards Cross and any other community brave enough to take these parasites on.
acjy1985, high wycombe says...
8:49am Tue 15 Jul 08
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Plus ça change..., Bucks says...
7:28pm Sat 8 Mar 08
However, I would never involve my children in my efforts.
Nor would I expect school teachers to get children involved in what appears a specific protest.
In my view, it is most inappropriate.