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Home | Monday 27th July 2009 | Issue 685

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STILL KEMPING IT UP

This week has seen the opening of the third corporate-run supermarket on St James’ Street in Kemptown, Brighton. In response Campaign group Keep Brighton Unique organised a demonstration calling for a boycott of the new Tesco store last Wednesday (22nd).

Tesco recently cancelled plans to open a 100,000 sq ft store on London Road, Brighton, due to a locally organised action group’s campaign of opposition during the consultation. The group, Another London Road, have been acting continuously to preserve Brighton from multinational development. Anti-corporate campaigners were hopeful when the St James’ St Tesco was initially refused an alcohol licence on the grounds that it was in an booze control area within the city centre. However, magistrates bowed to the big business bullies on appeal and granted the licence.

Kemptown, renowned for its quirky, individual and unique atmosphere as well as its independent traders and privately run shops, now has the dubious honour of having a Morrison’s, Co-op, Tesco and Starbucks all along one stretch of high street. 

Despite a recent set back in their campaign against Starbucks, as the council accepted the questionable evidence of 51% of products being sold for take-out and allowed Starbucks to continue trading on a retail licence (SchNEWS 679), Keep Brighton Unique will be continuing to hold monthly protests outside various Starbucks in the city. To date, this rowdy bunch have collected over 3,000 anti-Starbucks signatures and staged weekly protests for more than a year. 

The next Keep Brighton Unique demo is midday 1st August outside the St James’ Street Starbucks, then on the first Saturday of every month.

The protesters were joined last Wednesday by another group campaigning against a Tesco in Titnore Woods (near Worthing), where groundwork has started without full planning permission on an area with ancient woodland and that is at severe risk of flooding. Protesters have been camped in the nearby woods since May 2006 (See SchNEWS 648). Help is still needed with the camp.

* Info on the London Road campaign group: http://anotherlondonroad.googlepages.com

* How to get involved in the anti-Titnore Tesco campaign: www.protectourwoodland.co.uk

Keywords: keep brighton unique, kemptown, starbucks, tescos, titnore, worthing


 

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