Streatham Hub support slams Tesco

Thursday, 04 March 2010

CAMPAIGNERS tore up a fake supermarket loyalty card in protest at delays to a leisure centre and ice rink redevelopment.

Lambeth council entered into a deal with Tesco in 2007 to build a new supermarket, leisure centre, ice rink, and social housing in Streatham High Road.

But the regeneration scheme, known as the Streatham Hub project, has failed to get off the ground because the council and supermarket have been unable to agree terms.

Labour-run Lambeth council closed Streatham Leisure Centre in November after its structure was found to be unsafe.

Dozens of frustrated residents staged an hour-long demonstration outside Tesco Express in Streatham High Road on Saturday at 11am.

The group’s aim was to pile pressure on Tesco’s board, which is due to meet to make a decision on the future of the scheme this month.

Bridged Hall, 51, from the Sustainable Streatham group, said: “I’ve lived in Streatham for 48 years and learnt to swim at the leisure centre pool.

“I was part of the centre’s users group when the negotiations with Tesco started.

“Since then, it has turned into a nightmare and it’s a criminal shame the leisure centre has closed.

“Tesco needs to step up to the plate or the council needs to compulsorily buy the land and deliver the leisure centre the community needs.”

Campaigners said motorists honked their horns and passers-by stopped and joined the crowd.

Robert Doyle, acting chairman of the pressure group Streatham Action, said: “It was great that people spontaneously decided to join us.

“There was great enthusiasm.

“We tore up an A3 size cardboard dummy of a Tesco loyalty card, which was called a ‘disloyalty card’.”

The event was attended by Streatham’s prospective parliamentary candidates Chuka Umunna for Labour, Chris Nicholson for the Lib Dems, Rahoul Bhansali for the Tories and Rebecca Findlay for the Greens.

Mr Umunna held a placard offering a spin on the supermarket’s slogan of “Every little helps” declaring “Every hub helps”.

Tesco was unavailable for comment.

Email: newsdesk@slp.co.uk

For the full story, you can get a full online edition at www.slp-e-edition.co.uk

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1 comments on this news item

Posted by : Streatham, Streatham | Monday 15/Mar/2010 | Report this comment

The 2010 Conservative Candidate for Streatham (Rahoul Bhansali) seems to be the only Prospective Parliamentary MP who can successfully deliver the Streatham Hub Project to it’s Full (and Final) Completion.

Other Streatham General Election Candidates sadly appear to be artfully displaying Highly Unhelpful Traits of ’Political Hoi Polloi’ ; without any Potential Gravitas or Leverage (whatsoever).

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