Superstore - New Petrol Station - Parking - New Access

[Poppy]

[Hawkeye]

[Hawkeye]

[Gemini]

City leaders told to pay the shop bill

ALAN MCEWEN


CAMPAIGNERS fighting against plans for a new supermarket in Portobello have demanded thousands of pounds in compensation from the city council.

The protesters claim they were forced to pay out £15,000 for their own retail impact study after being deserted by the council.

The effect on local shops was one reason councillors threw out the planning application for the 85,000sq ft store last year.

But council lawyers decided to ignore the issue at a public inquiry into the controversial proposals.

The move prompted campaigners to hire their own expert to assess the damage to small businesses after concluding it was vital to their case.

They bankrolled a study using part of the £23,000 raised locally to block the building of a new store at the former site of the ScottishPower HQ on the High Street.

Keith Hargest, a retail consultant with Hargest and Wallace, carried out a detailed analysis and concluded that traders would lose up to 20 per cent of their revenue if the supermarket went ahead.

Siobhan Samson, a planning officer with Friends of the Earth Scotland, told the final day of the inquiry yesterday that the protesters were entitled to expenses from the council as it had acted "unreasonably".

Ms Samson, who was representing the protestors for free, said the council was "duty-bound" to include the effect on retailers as it had been a key reason for the planning application’s rejection.

"Not to do so left the community in an unenviable position, and one that could only be addressed by them," she said.

"The community had no warning of this situation until the night of the pre-inquiry meeting [October 4, 2004] and therefore had very little time to decide whether they were capable of raising the revenue required."

Ms Samson said the campaigners would seek £7500, which was around 50 per cent of the bill.

But Gordon Steele QC, acting on behalf of the council, said: "There has been no evidence presented as to whether the council rescinded. They also knew of the council’s position for several months.

"Expenses can only relate to the percentage of time wasted by a party during the hearing. The claim is incompetent."

The protestors raised £23,000 to fund their campaign through a Burns Supper, jumble sales, a quiz, coffee morning and the sale of a calendar.

They also had to shell out around £10,000 for traffic consultant Andrew Carrie to appear before the inquiry.

Diana Cairns, of the Portobello Campaign Against the Supermarket, said: "The council had told us they had doubts about fighting it on retail grounds.

"Then at the pre-inquiry meeting in October they told us they would be withdrawing that argument entirely.

"If the reporter finds that the retail argument was a significant factor in her decision, I think we would have a strong argument that we should recoup some of the costs from the council."

The inquiry’s final day heard closing submissions from the developers, Edinburgh-based Duddingston House Properties, the city council and the protesters.

Malcolm Thomson QC, representing the developers, said that the impact on shops in the High Street was not a valid means to find against the supermarket plans.

A decision is expected in May.

[Bob Jefferson]

[dccairns]

[Bob Jefferson]

[Brian McCrow]

[Bob Jefferson]

www.boylecartoon.co.uk

[Gemini]

Press Release from the Green Party - another mention for Portobello
GREEN MSP MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release 22nd March, 2005
SUPERMARKET BULLIES REMAIN UNCHECKED
- "toothless" government report leaves farmers and food chain exposed to exploitation
Green Lothians MSP Mark Ballard reacted with disappointment today as the long awaited Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) investigation into supermarket behaviour concluded in a report with no recommended action. In effect the report suggests an extension to submissions for views to the end of May, further setting back action which was originally expected at the end of last year.(1)
Mr Ballard claims that the OFT's failure to control supermarkets is a missed opportunity to rein in companies that exploit farmers and suppliers. It follows a report last year that found that up to 85% suppliers thought the code was ineffective in changing supermarket behaviour, and that fear of being de-listed or other reprisals by supermarkets was the main obstacle preventing suppliers from making complaints. (2)
Mr Ballard said, "No conclusion is better than a bad conclusion, but the non-report published today is a huge disappointment for communities and farmers up and down the country. The stranglehold that supermarkets hold over farmers and suppliers and the unfair squeeze on small businesses and local communities will continue. I have seen in Portobello in Edinburgh how vehement opposition to new supermarkets is, and am completely support campaigns that support local shops and businesses.
"I am very concerned at the observations in the report which simply that it is up to farmers and primary suppliers to use the code, otherwise it is difficult to assess how it is, or is not, working. This is ridiculous when everyone knows that to use the code as it stands carries a direct threat of being de-listed by a supermarket, under no written contract which is the norm.
"This is a pathetic show by the OFT. Action is needed urgently, yet today government simply declared more delay and allowed this monopoly over the food chain to grip even tighter - and farmers, local shops and communities will suffer in the meantime.
"Supermarkets are out of control and are damaging our agriculture and food systems - that is why Greens are asking other MSPs to support me in urging the Executive to do all it can to stand up for Scotland's food producers.(3) "There have been several reports in the press that supermarkets pressurised the OFT to not come down too hard on them. Judging by this toothless report, their bullying tactics seemed to have worked here too."
Not one complaint against a supermarket has been made under the voluntary code of conduct since its inception in 2002. In particular, dairy farmers in Scotland face tremendous difficulties - not least being paid below the price of production for milk and 700 dairy farms have gone out of business in Scotland over the last five years.
Greens have been highlighting the need to curb supermarket power as part of their Food Revolution campaign. The increasing scale and number of supermarket developments is destroying local businesses, jobs, and green spaces, and leading to the deterioration of varied and vibrant shopping areas.(4)

[Gemini]

Quote Hawkeye>>>Whether the claim will succeed is not known but at least we sold three calendars at full price, two to the QCs and one to Robert Drysdale<<

Meant to ask u about this Gov.. What was your sales pitch?

[Hawkeye]

With regard to Gemini's enquiry about the sales pitch, it was simple, I asked Gordon Steele to buy one as he'd opposed Siobhan's claim for expenses. He stumped up the cash for Malcolm Thompson's (mi learned friend) as well. Robert Drysdale asked to buy one but didn't have the cash so I let him have one with the promise of a cheque in the post. This duly arrived the next day for £20 with a wee note explaining that 'every little helps.' to coin a phrase.

[Gemini]

[Gemini]

The following is of interest to POL's supporting PCATS


Would you please write to MSPs asking them to sign up to the following motion put forward by Mark Ballard MSP.

The MSPs are: Chris Ballance, Robert Brown, Fiona Hyslop, Rosie Kane, Kenny MacAskill, John Swinburne, Rosemary Byrne, Frances Curran, Rob Gibson, Robin Harper, Patrick Harvie, Eleanor Scott, Elaine Smith, Christine Grahame, Adam Ingram, Mark Ruskell, Tommy Sheridan. The format of the e-mail addresses is:

mark.ballard.msp@scottish.parliament.uk


[quote]S2M-2572 # Mark Ballard:Supermarkets Causing the Demise of Family Grocer Businessesâ€â€

[dccairns]

[jimann]

Although not able to attend the inquiry we followed the daily updates by "Hawkeye" with, at first, bated breath, then consequently, with more and more enjoyment and understanding with his "version" of events.
Can I say that that his mention of "Mr Baker could bore for Scotland" made us relax towards the ongoing saga, and the writing has helped us understand some of the issues discussed.

My wife's intrigued, "Hawkeye" seems to know his/her stuff - glad he/she's on our side!!

Thanks again!

[Hawkeye]

[dccairns]

[dccairns]

Interesting article by George Monbiot in today’s Guardian. Tesco are already in a monopolistic position in the grocery market but now they want to muscle in on the distribution market for newspapers and magazines. This will have many damaging effects, for example, it will put minority interest magazines out of business, it will harm independent newsagents but most sinister of all, it will be like Murdoch having control of the press or Berlusconi having control of TV channels because they will be able to dictate the content of newspapers and magazines. As Monbiot says, it’s hard to envisage Tesco carrying newspapers with critical articles about Tesco in them. If you think this sounds far-fetched, Wal-Mart has already dictated changes to magazine covers in the US. Here is the link to the article:
www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1485453,00.html

Monbiot is urging people to write in to the OFT about this. The e-mail address is: enquiries@oft.gov.uk

[Porty]

I would say the Tesco market position is Oligopolistic rather than Monopolistic. However, its still pretty worrying.

[dccairns]

[dccairns]

[wangi]

[Pal of Porty]

[Porty]

[Brian McCrow]

[Maria]

[maggle]

[dccairns]

[Gemini]

[cornerboy]

[Poppy]

And here it is in the EN - so it must be true!!!



Well done everybody!

[karen]

[DG]

[dccairns]