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Campaigners urge landlord to withdraw lease from Tesco
Ham&High report 7 March 2015
Cllr Leila Roy, son Anton and campaigner Linda Grove deliver a petition against the opening of a Tesco store in Belsize Park to landlord Barry Ackerman at his address in Great Cumberland Place W1.
Campaigners against Tesco have pleaded with the owner of the Belsize Park site to withdraw from lease negotiations with the supermarket giant.
More than 4,500 protesters have signed a petition against Tesco’s plans to open an Express store on the former HSBC site on Haverstock Hill
Leading the protest, local resident Linda Grove and Belsize councillor Leila Roy, pictured with her son Anton, attempted to deliver a letter with a copy of their petition by hand to Barry Ackerman, director of Kingstar which owns the site.
However as there was nobody at the company’s registered address in Great Cumberland Place, they now intend to send the letter by post.
Drafted by the chair of the Hampstead Shops Campaign Town Team, Jessica Learmond-Criqui, it urges Mr Ackerman to withdraw from discussions with Tesco, and warns that: “Many residents here will not use the local shop and that may impact on the return on Tesco’s investment which you may wish to consider before the investment is made.
Ham&High report 7 March 2015
Campaign to Stop Tesco opening in Belsize
Please send your comments to belsizesayno@gmail.com
Due to the pending arrival of the new Tesco store, the leases of three shops nearby are now up for sale: Actionmate Newsagents, 175, Haverstock Hill, due to a rent rise to £50K;
Londis, 167 Haverstock Hill is for sale due to a rent increase to £69K, And also La Casa Café and Sandwich Bar, 246 Haverstock Hill.
Local Tesco and Sainsbury's stores
Appeal from Tom Conti and Andrew Thornton of Budgens
BELSIZE PARK CALLS ON TESCO NOT TO
OPEN AN EXPRESS STORE ON HAVERSTOCK HILL
CEO Dave Lewis announced on 8 January 2015 that Tesco is to close 43 of its unprofitable stores as well as its headquarters in Cheshunt as part of a drastic plan to turnaround the company. A significant proportion of these closures will be local convenience shops. The company also announced that is shelving plans to open a further 49 new very large stores.
Please sign the petition to stop Tesco on Haverstock Hill
stoptescocomingtobelsize.org
and please write to the local press to say how you feel about Tesco coming to Belsize with a copy email to us
emily.banks@archant.co.uk and william@camdennewjournal.com
Watch the Video here of the Deputation Request to Camden
Regarding the Belsize Shopping Area on Haverstock Hill 26 January 2015
Starts at 09.15 runs to 20.23
There has been considerable opposition from Belsize Park residents. If people want Tesco there is already a Tesco store just down the road in England’s Lane.
Tesco has signed a lease for this site and plans to open an Express store. The Tesco approach to business is about as far as you can get from our focus on people and our planet. And this is bad news for Belsize Park. Below are three reasons why:
1. If Tesco opens, it threatens the existence of the three independent food stores in Belsize Park - Pomono, Londis and Thornton's Budgens. The UK grocery business is currently the most competitive I have ever seen. The price war is making it difficult for all grocery retailers. The major supermarkets are experiencing their out of town stores struggling. They are using their muscle power to get back into the high street at the expense of the less strong (independent retailers). I understand the rent they are paying is extraordinarily high and that in its own right will affect the next rent reviews of those independent shops that do survive.
2. Tesco has no interest in community or acting locally. They will open a standard store that in no way will reflect the needs of the area. Tesco is not interested in supporting the local community. And their arrival would be one more step towards Belsize becoming another faceless high street made up of remotely run multiple chains whose only interest is in making as much profit as possible. Tesco chose Christmas Eve to put in its application which suggests they know that there will be local objections and they hope to minimise these.
3. There is no proper loading bay at the old bank. Tesco will probably have to flaunt parking restrictions to gain access for the delivery trucks.
So what can you do?
- Please sign the petition.
- Write to Emily Banks at the Ham&High or better still phone 020 7433 6209) to let her know your views. Also contact William McLennan Camden New Journal 0207 419 9000 @williammclennan.
- Tell everyone you know in the area. If you act now, we have a chance to stop Tesco opening up a store in Belsize Park. If you leave it to others to act, they may not and this might slip through.
We have a chance of defeating this move.
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