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Campaigners bid to keep Tesco out

10:00am Monday 8th August 2011 in Oxford

Campaigners bid to keep Tesco out Campaigners bid to keep Tesco out

PROTESTERS gathered outside a disused pub in an attempt to stop Tesco taking over the site.

A group of residents, including siblings David, three, and James, five, Lord, pictured holding the sign, oppose plans by the supermarket chain to move into the former Ox pub in Oxford Road, Abingdon.

It would be the third Tesco to open in the town.

Campaigner Rachel Adlam said: “We just feel that Tesco is driving custom out of the town centre, which is not exactly thriving at the moment.

“There are already two Tescos in Abingdon and the traffic around this site is also a concern. I think that everyone was happy with the turnout and now we are looking to produce some more petitions to move forward.”

Tesco claims local businesses could benefit from being near one of its stores because of increased footfall.

Picture: Antony Moore

Comments(8)

Lord Peter Macvey says...
6:55pm Mon 8 Aug 11

Out of all those people pictured I would guess at least 50% do their family shop at Tesco Marcham Rd. What a bunch of hypocrites, and maybe Tesco should ban them from their stores. These people would soon regret their actions when their shopping bill doubles from having to buy everything from Best-one or whatever it is. They are just like the Mobile Phone Mast protesters, they all have a mobile, but don't want the means to be able to use it near them.

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alu355 says...
7:47pm Mon 8 Aug 11

Wonder why the other supermarkets aren't interested

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Feelingsmatter says...
8:40pm Mon 8 Aug 11

Lord Peter, I am interested how you know the shopping habbits of "these people". I do not shop at Tesco, Marcham Road, unless it's for boys' clothes as there are now no childrens' clothes shops in Abingdon. Also, the protest isn't against Tesco superstores, it's against Tesco spawning smaller shops, so there is no hypocrisy involved. Your hostility is evident, but I am interested to know where it began.
Oh, and I do not have a mobile phone, I walk to my local shops and work. I value the small shops and local post-office as a social outlet as well as a provider of daily shopping needs. Tesco Express is costlier than One Stop and Budgens for many purchases, as has been said in previous discussions. Your concern for everyone having a cheaper shopping bill is noble, but I wonder what else fules your scorn at the protesters.

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Lord Palmerstone says...
7:23am Tue 9 Aug 11

If they'd known what they wanted on the site I guess they'd have bought the site and put it up. They didn't. Bit late to start whingeing now.

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Feelingsmatter says...
9:50am Tue 9 Aug 11

It's not about whingeing; nobody knew what was happening until the chip-board screening went up. To suggest that a group of ordinary people club together to buy an old pub is ridiculous. We DO know what we want on the old site, which is not much larger than an average four bed detached house; housing. No opportunity was given to share our views before the unstoppable monopoly began work.

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Lord Palmerstone says...
5:16am Wed 10 Aug 11

Well you've just contradicted yourself. If you knew,why didn't you do it? Nothing happens without people like yourself taking the initiative. Don't sit back and wait for the State. The State's not worth diddley squat.

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Feelingsmatter says...
8:04am Wed 10 Aug 11

Contradicted myself? I can't work out where. (If I knew what, why didn't I do what?) We know we want housing, but the pub has never been up for sale, and even if it WAS we don't have the money to do anything about it. Protests have been made to relevant authorities, but as local planning law stands there is nothing we can do to stop the store being made. A petition has been started, but apart from protesting outside the pub there is nothing else we CAN do. I will not shop there, but there will always be people who find it convenient. I agree that the state is worth diddley-squat.

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davyboy says...
8:38pm Wed 10 Aug 11

we certainly do not need another tesco in abingdon. this was craftily done without anyone being aware that the pub was up for sale. why can't the planners insist that a different company has use of the building?

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