Letter to my councillors about Stirchley supermarket developments
Dear Timothy, Nigel, and Rob,
Thank you for you recent Conservatives in Bournville Ward newsletter through our door, we appreciate being kept up to date with local news from your perspective.
I was shocked by the news that Morrisons plan to put in a proposal for the Fordhouse Lane site in Stirchley, frankly the news terrifies me. I’m glad that you are going to raise some objections and call for an independent report.
As a future shop keeper in Stirchley (Loaf is planning on opening an Artisan Bakery and wholefood shop in conjunction with the South Birmingham Food Co-op this summer), the thought of not one but three major supermarkets that will be in direct competition with our offering is obviously daunting. I also fear for existing food and drink retailers in Stirchley and surrounding areas that will inevitably suffer - J Ward greengrocers and Stirchey Wines and Spirits have been in Stirchley for over 30 years, and they can surely not survive in such close proximity to a new Morrisons development.
There is the beginnings of a really exciting grassroots movement of businesses, organisations, and individuals in Stirchley that want to regenerate Stirchley from the bottom up. What is perhaps even more exciting is that lots of these are rooted in the co-operative and social enterprise tradition, which is so pertinent in Stirchley, being the spiritual heartland of the co-operative movement in the Midlands. I believe, given time and support, Stirchley can undergo a revolution in the next decade and become the most exciting and independent town centre in Birmingham. Not only that but I believe Stirchley can be an example to the rest of the nation of how a community can reclaim their high street. I personally believe Stirchley can become a modern day community-supported high street, and i’d love to share more of this vision with you if you will allow me. I’d also love to share this with the planning department, and beg you to send the independent reviewers my way so that i can communicate this clearly to them also. Please insist that the review takes into account not just the present retail offering in Stirchley, but the potential future retail offering too.
I am equally concerned about the looming Tesco’s development at the other end of Stirchley - I know I have arrived a bit late into this one, but I would be glad if you could let me know what stage this is at, and if there is any opportunity remaining for formally placing objections to this.
I will also be writing to Steve McCabe MP, encouraging him to continue the good work that Lynne Jones started in engaging the local community on the issues of supermarket developments in Stirchley (e.g. http://www.lynnejones.org.uk/stirchle.htm).
Kind regards,
Tom.
If you want to get in touch with our councillors about this, you can find their email addresses here: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite/bournville-councillors?packedargs=website%3D4&rendermode=live
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