Lewes Road community garden under siege (From The Argus)

question is where are these squatters going to move to? anyone want them in your garden?

Bring on the right wing idiots ranting on about how these people are "benefit thiefs". how about you save your breaths and move back to worthing?

I guess if the Tesco is unwanted, people wont shop there and the store would close.

Plus the jobs the Tesco store will create is useful.

"The garden was originally created in May 2009 with the agreement of Alburn Minos as the gardeners promised to leave when it needed the land." - I think the community gardeners should stick to their agreement and move out. Their action may only deter landlords / owners from agreeing to other temporary community gardens elsewhere.

I am glad that those stupid layabouts are out of there and now the land can be used for something useful.

People keep saying that they don't want a tesco and that there are loads in the area. The nearest one to lewes road is over in jubilee square by the library so a shop here that is cheaper than the co-op or sainsbury's is a welcome addition as far as I'm concerned.

Now green space is something we have a lot of on lewes road. We have the level, the park opposite the bus garage, 2 Nature Reserves and the entire of the downs. All within a 10-20 minute walk of Lewes road.

It would be interesting to know where Ms Lucas buys her groceries as she is so averse to lesser mortals visiting shops .Does she perhaps grow or make all of her food , clothing etc. ?

FFS. I can't believe this is still going on!

It's not theirs to 'give up' in the first place. They don't own it and they don't get to decide how it's used. Presumeably the developers have gone through correct procedure with the planning dept and that's where they should have objected if that's what they wanted.

All this is doing is wasting everyone's time and money.

Kew Gardens it ain't. It's a grotty plot of land that used to be a petrol station that is going to be developed and put to use instead of sitting there doing nothing. Developing it will provide housing and jobs.

I can appreciate the work that went into it and I think it's lovely that people got a chance to have such a unique garden, but they always knew there would be an end in sight. There are plenty of other green spaces within a few minutes walk of this site, why not use those and build a proper community garden, why the fuss about hanging on to this particular patch?

Fair enough, not everyone wants a Tesco there, but it will get built and you can bet your bottom dollar that it will do a good trade. If people really don't want it there it would be best to boycott it and not use it, but we all know that won't happen....

The question that has to be asked, though, is how many stupormarkets do we need in a shopping centre? It's tit-for-tat - Sainsbury's build one, Tesco build one, each fiercely competing for the limited local clientele.

The Co-op is right next door to this proposed new store, Spar is close by on the opposite side of the road, and a giant Sainsbury's is on the gyratory, 300 yards away.

Tesco are just trying to put down as many supermarkets (and Tesco Express) as they can before the Government (and the Council) clamp down on planning permission.

http://www.brightona
ndhovenews.org/2010/
03/council-leader-ca
lls-for-action-again
st-supermarket-giant
s/

One problem is that all these small supermarkets are in addition to exisiting off-licence stores, and the street drinkers can easily get cheap booze at all hours.

Do we really need them? The stores, I mean. Oh, come to think of it do we really want the street drinkers too?

I have no problem with a few 24-hour convenience stores being dotted around in convenient places (but these should NEVER have liquor licences) and shouldn't sping up like mushrooms.

security word much-huge - how appropriate

The truth here is the fact that Tesco is the retail equivilent of the mafia what Tesco wants, Tesco gets even if it means riding roughshod over anyone who gets in their way. Yes I know Alburn Minos are the contactors, but wheels within wheels comes to mind here!

tom pepper wrote:
The truth here is the fact that Tesco is the retail equivilent of the mafia what Tesco wants, Tesco gets even if it means riding roughshod over anyone who gets in their way. Yes I know Alburn Minos are the contactors, but wheels within wheels comes to mind here!

"retail equivalent of the mafia"

That made me snort loudly. They're a retail chain. People demand a service, Tesco provide it. That's al; there is to it. At the end of the day, if nobody in that area wants a Tesco, then when it opens, nobody will shop there. But they will, because they do. Honestly, the sooner people stop whinging about "mafia Tesco" the better. It's far too easy to express hatred towards a business simply because it is incredibly successful.

"retail equivalent of the mafia"

That made me snort loudly. They're a retail chain. People demand a service, Tesco provide it. That's al; there is to it. At the end of the day, if nobody in that area wants a Tesco, then when it opens, nobody will shop there. But they will, because they do. Honestly, the sooner people stop whinging about "mafia Tesco" the better. It's far too easy to express hatred towards a business simply because it is incredibly successful.

Why don't the protesters lease up the other shop and set up in competition to Tesco. They then can prove that what they can offer is superior.

After supporting the Green Party since before it was even called the green Party i now say enough is enough. It ends now thanks to Caroline lucas. I've had enough.

Hasn't the garden been under seige ever since the original gardeners left the site as per the original agreement with the landowners and the squatters moved in????

As for Captain Planet meeting with Tesco's in London, shouldn't she be meeting with the chap who is now being scapegoated by the landowners and being threatened with legal action?

Didn't think so, it sounds much better for Captain Planet to blog about taking on an evil corporation rather than defending a constituent who has been the subject of the mother of all stitch ups.

mikebaden wrote:

tom pepper wrote: The truth here is the fact that Tesco is the retail equivilent of the mafia what Tesco wants, Tesco gets even if it means riding roughshod over anyone who gets in their way. Yes I know Alburn Minos are the contactors, but wheels within wheels comes to mind here!

"retail equivalent of the mafia" That made me snort loudly. They're a retail chain. People demand a service, Tesco provide it. That's al; there is to it. At the end of the day, if nobody in that area wants a Tesco, then when it opens, nobody will shop there. But they will, because they do. Honestly, the sooner people stop whinging about "mafia Tesco" the better. It's far too easy to express hatred towards a business simply because it is incredibly successful.

Completely agree.

Tesco will be successful on the Lewes Road. The Co-Op is awful because it ALWAYS seems to have a huge Q, the Spar is overpriced... Tesco (probably) won't be either of those things and might have longer opening hours than Sainsburys. Most people don't care where they shop and if it's cheaper with better service they'll be raking it in!

Anything that destroys the nesting and gathering of the useless left wing trash that infests B&H has to be a good thing.

sdthetruth wrote:
Anything that destroys the nesting and gathering of the useless left wing trash that infests B&H has to be a good thing.

They have to live somewhere before they go to the EDL March...

All the people that rail against Tesco, still carry Loyalty Cards,, pop in for fuel,.. use the Metro as it is handy. I stopped using them years ago and have not bought a sandwich since they targeted George Street (ever looked in the window of that Store/Coffee Shop, you can see everything except food......and of course, the disgrace which is the ongoing shame of Brighton and Hove Council (and the Argus) in not prosecuting them for refusing to replace the windows in the Palmeira Square branch. Unless you can, hand on Heart..say you NEVER use them, shut up, if you are a fellow boycott... spread the word..

iceman00 wrote:
Bring on the right wing idiots ranting on about how these people are "benefit thiefs". how about you save your breaths and move back to worthing?

Err theres way more big businesses in Worthing!!!

They could always move into The Snipe and stop Sainsbury's opening up there.

i thought the garden when it started was great; i used to live opposite and it was much better than the derelict site it was. better still, it brought out all sorts of folk who met each other for the first time and made friends.

i think the original gardeners handed back the site months ago, exactly as they agreed to do with the developer. the squatters there are giving the idea of these pop up gardens a bad name.

as for another supermarket along that stretch, i can't really see what tesco is going to add; we've got a tesco and a coop near us and the coop is always better stocked.

worthinglogic wrote:

iceman00 wrote: Bring on the right wing idiots ranting on about how these people are "benefit thiefs". how about you save your breaths and move back to worthing?

Err theres way more big businesses in Worthing!!!

yes...but its still the biggest hellhole on the south coast. Except for Portsmouth maybe

Bring on the conceited overblown brightonian iceman00, who in the same breath criticises those who stereotype and now rather predictably slags of surrounding areas and his fellow Brightonians in the process.

no 2 tescos & shame on all who want it always luved the place & the people in there as the norm caroline speaks 4 all people who hate repression

Greenlover wrote:
no 2 tescos & shame on all who want it always luved the place & the people in there as the norm caroline speaks 4 all people who hate repression

Yet Lucas seems quite happy to repress the choice of the buying public. Odd sentiments on your part I must say and try and use punctuation as I find your paragraph quite confused.

If you hate Tesco that much, why not boycott it?

I boycott Tesco's for several reasons!
Firstly, my tastebuds work well and like it when I put food in my mouth that actually has some flavour.
Secondly, I find the corporate machine that is Tesco, far too powerful. They will not be happy until there is no competition and that for us as consumers can only be a bad thing.
I have seen a similar thing happen in the package holiday market, 20 years ago there were hundreds of operators to choose from, however the more powerful Thomsons became the less and less choice we had, now they are the only buig tour operator left, any that try to compete simply fold as we have seen several times this summer.
Continue to give Tesco your business at your own peril....just dont complain when the only Loans, Insurance, Electronics, food etc etc etc you can get is from Tesco!

PS.....get some tasebuds, that will put you off going there too.....bland is not a strong enough description!

DoubleD wrote:
I boycott Tesco's for several reasons!
Firstly, my tastebuds work well and like it when I put food in my mouth that actually has some flavour.
Secondly, I find the corporate machine that is Tesco, far too powerful. They will not be happy until there is no competition and that for us as consumers can only be a bad thing.
I have seen a similar thing happen in the package holiday market, 20 years ago there were hundreds of operators to choose from, however the more powerful Thomsons became the less and less choice we had, now they are the only buig tour operator left, any that try to compete simply fold as we have seen several times this summer.
Continue to give Tesco your business at your own peril....just dont complain when the only Loans, Insurance, Electronics, food etc etc etc you can get is from Tesco!

PS.....get some tasebuds, that will put you off going there too.....bland is not a strong enough description!

You do realise most of the food stocked in every supermarket is exactly the same? Tesco Tuna is the same as Sainsburys tuna. Sainsburys bread is the same as Tesco's bread. The ready meals, sandwiches etc, are all made by the same companies. I have a friend who once had a stint in a sandwich factory that made pre-packed sandwiches for 3 different shops. So your point there is hideously flawed, the only way you could buy food that is actually different is to buy everything you eat from independent food shops. That might suit you, but there's no convenience in it.

As for your rant about the holiday package market, absolute tosh. If you think Thomsons are the only operators, you seriously need to do some research to back up your arguments. There are dozens of other operators, and there are also hundreds of smaller independent operators that offer more unique and specific packages. Virgin Holidays, First Choice, Thomas Cook, Teletext Holidays, Lastminute.com, Ebookers, Directline, expedia. They are all big holiday companies. "the only tour operator left" O really? I haven't even begun to list all the independent operators of which there are dozens.

At the end of the day, when one, or a few, companies get big it is up to the smaller companies to use their business sense to adapt and change. Independent holiday companies survive now because they offer something the bigger ones can't. For example some offer unique tours around very specific areas. There is no point blaming Tesco for market dominance, if the smaller shops are under threat, which I'd argue they aren't (Taj, anyone?), then it is up to them to find a way to adapt and offer customers something Tesco can't. Taj manages it by offering diverse and interesting foods. Infinity Foods has been around for donkeys years and has continued to thrive by offering products and service Tesco doesn't. I was there yesterday and it was just as bustling and busy as it was before Tesco came to new road and queens road.

/endrant.

iceman00 wrote:
Bring on the right wing idiots ranting on about how these people are "benefit thiefs". how about you save your breaths and move back to worthing?

thieves is the correct grammer and whats wrong with being right wing
or living in worthing for that matter,

lets get back to the issue which is simple, I know this site and used it for years when it was a petrol station, I fully admire the urban garden ideal and fully supported the original idea going so far as to drive by and have a look at the very pleasing result but the agreement was simple it went back to the owners on demand, letting the matter go to the courts, running up needless costs for the owners is nothing but a shot in the foot for all responsible urban gardners who will find the irresponsible actions of a few reverbrate through out the country as an example of why urban gardners should be prevented from accessing any site.
If there is an argument about redevelopement that is a different issue and has to dealt with at the planning application time not now.
those occuping the site should apologise unreservedly both to the site owners the courts and most of all to all genuine urban gardners, vacate the site at once

I'm glad they've got rid of the silly hippies. Am dusting off my club card as I type!

mikebaden wrote:

DoubleD wrote:
I boycott Tesco's for several reasons!
Firstly, my tastebuds work well and like it when I put food in my mouth that actually has some flavour.
Secondly, I find the corporate machine that is Tesco, far too powerful. They will not be happy until there is no competition and that for us as consumers can only be a bad thing.
I have seen a similar thing happen in the package holiday market, 20 years ago there were hundreds of operators to choose from, however the more powerful Thomsons became the less and less choice we had, now they are the only buig tour operator left, any that try to compete simply fold as we have seen several times this summer.
Continue to give Tesco your business at your own peril....just dont complain when the only Loans, Insurance, Electronics, food etc etc etc you can get is from Tesco!

PS.....get some tasebuds, that will put you off going there too.....bland is not a strong enough description!

You do realise most of the food stocked in every supermarket is exactly the same? Tesco Tuna is the same as Sainsburys tuna. Sainsburys bread is the same as Tesco's bread. The ready meals, sandwiches etc, are all made by the same companies. I have a friend who once had a stint in a sandwich factory that made pre-packed sandwiches for 3 different shops. So your point there is hideously flawed, the only way you could buy food that is actually different is to buy everything you eat from independent food shops. That might suit you, but there's no convenience in it.

As for your rant about the holiday package market, absolute tosh. If you think Thomsons are the only operators, you seriously need to do some research to back up your arguments. There are dozens of other operators, and there are also hundreds of smaller independent operators that offer more unique and specific packages. Virgin Holidays, First Choice, Thomas Cook, Teletext Holidays, Lastminute.com, Ebookers, Directline, expedia. They are all big holiday companies. "the only tour operator left" O really? I haven't even begun to list all the independent operators of which there are dozens.

At the end of the day, when one, or a few, companies get big it is up to the smaller companies to use their business sense to adapt and change. Independent holiday companies survive now because they offer something the bigger ones can't. For example some offer unique tours around very specific areas. There is no point blaming Tesco for market dominance, if the smaller shops are under threat, which I'd argue they aren't (Taj, anyone?), then it is up to them to find a way to adapt and offer customers something Tesco can't. Taj manages it by offering diverse and interesting foods. Infinity Foods has been around for donkeys years and has continued to thrive by offering products and service Tesco doesn't. I was there yesterday and it was just as bustling and busy as it was before Tesco came to new road and queens road.

/endrant.

First Choice, Thomas Cook, both part of TUI, do your research and you will find many others are too....Airtours, etc etc. The others you mention are not tour operators, they are agencies who sell on behalf of operators. Yes there are lots of little ones out there, but they struggle to survive in a market dominated by the ever powerful TUI. Please dont lecture me on this again, I worked for over a decade for tour operators and airlines and do know what I am talking about.

Taj and Infinity survive by offering unique services, and are not really in direct competition with Tesco, so your argument on that is pretty pointless I'm affraid.

Tinned food is the same where ever you get it of course and yes a lot of the ingredients that go into Tesco food will be the same as the other big supermarkets, I wont argue with that, a lot of what Sainsbury sell is pretty bland too.
However, this article is not about Sainsbury is it, Its about Tesco, and my staement of opinion stands, their food is Bland at best!

NotGreen wrote:
I guess if the Tesco is unwanted, people wont shop there and the store would close. Plus the jobs the Tesco store will create is useful.

Lewes Road is a bit run down these days, Maybe if a lot more stores moved in a bit of life would be injected, doubt if a small Tesco's will make dent, but Market forces if no one goes into this Tesco's then it'll shut up shop and another offy will rise from the ashes, I wonder if this developer will do it again!!!

Sneaking in at 2 in the morning smacks of skulduggery. Using a High Court writ that has been proved to be invalid is illegal. Crashing around till 5 in the morning waking everyone up is Noise disturbance. Something that had it been any one else would have had them arrested. Tesco is a form of Mafia. It owns 32% of all retail land here in England. That's a monopoly/cartel. Which I believe is also illegal.And this is only the beginning of the disruption that the immediate residents have been dreading. First the noise pollution of the actual building works. Driving the residents out of their gardens. Followed by the disruption and noise and air pollution that is going to come from the delivery trucks. Which will be starting at 4 in the morning. Blocking Edinburgh road and making people late for work. But hey if your a big corporation and have big enough brown envelopes to throw at Brighton Council you can do anything you want at whatever time you want.

Facts of Life wrote:

sdthetruth wrote:
Anything that destroys the nesting and gathering of the useless left wing trash that infests B&H has to be a good thing.

They have to live somewhere before they go to the EDL March...

All the people that rail against Tesco, still carry Loyalty Cards,, pop in for fuel,.. use the Metro as it is handy. I stopped using them years ago and have not bought a sandwich since they targeted George Street (ever looked in the window of that Store/Coffee Shop, you can see everything except food......and of course, the disgrace which is the ongoing shame of Brighton and Hove Council (and the Argus) in not prosecuting them for refusing to replace the windows in the Palmeira Square branch. Unless you can, hand on Heart..say you NEVER use them, shut up, if you are a fellow boycott... spread the word..

there isn't a Tesco on George Street

Lewes Road Community Toilet

"Caroline Lucas is meeting with Tesco management tomorrow (Wednesday) in London to tell them that their store is not wanted on the Lewes Road. "

Who says the store is not wanted - I suspect that Lady Lucas has only spoken to the people she wants to speak to rather than all her constituency members.

The so called protest is pointless. Lewis Road is a commercial street and needs shops such as Tescos to attract people + we need housing. There are plenty of parks in the area we don't need the re-creation of a bomb site.

Where were these protestors when they started building a football stadium on an AONB.

A sentence should begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop, "grammer" is spelt "grammar, "whats" should have an apostrophe in it, a question should end with a question mark, throughout is all one word, "gardners" is spelt "gardeners", "redevelopement" is spelt "redevelopment" and "occuping" is spelt "occupying".

John Steed wrote:

iceman00 wrote:
Bring on the right wing idiots ranting on about how these people are "benefit thiefs". how about you save your breaths and move back to worthing?

thieves is the correct grammer and whats wrong with being right wing
or living in worthing for that matter,

lets get back to the issue which is simple, I know this site and used it for years when it was a petrol station, I fully admire the urban garden ideal and fully supported the original idea going so far as to drive by and have a look at the very pleasing result but the agreement was simple it went back to the owners on demand, letting the matter go to the courts, running up needless costs for the owners is nothing but a shot in the foot for all responsible urban gardners who will find the irresponsible actions of a few reverbrate through out the country as an example of why urban gardners should be prevented from accessing any site.
If there is an argument about redevelopement that is a different issue and has to dealt with at the planning application time not now.
those occuping the site should apologise unreservedly both to the site owners the courts and most of all to all genuine urban gardners, vacate the site at once

A sentence should begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop, "grammer" is spelt "grammar, "whats" should have an apostrophe in it, a question should end with a question mark, throughout is all one word, "gardners" is spelt "gardeners", "redevelopement" is spelt "redevelopment" and "occuping" is spelt "occupying".

jillyb1 wrote:
It would be interesting to know where Ms Lucas buys her groceries as she is so averse to lesser mortals visiting shops .Does she perhaps grow or make all of her food , clothing etc. ?

she lives in Oxford

Fairly simple this really, the land does not belong to the lewes road community.......If they wanted it, they should have purchased it....

JKW wrote:

jillyb1 wrote:
It would be interesting to know where Ms Lucas buys her groceries as she is so averse to lesser mortals visiting shops .Does she perhaps grow or make all of her food , clothing etc. ?

she lives in Oxford

with Lepper we knew where he lived before he was an MP, when he was an MP and now he is an ex MP. He has always trotted around the local shops chatting to members of the community.

Ms Lucas is a complete joke....

DoubleD wrote:
I boycott Tesco's for several reasons! Firstly, my tastebuds work well and like it when I put food in my mouth that actually has some flavour. Secondly, I find the corporate machine that is Tesco, far too powerful. They will not be happy until there is no competition and that for us as consumers can only be a bad thing. I have seen a similar thing happen in the package holiday market, 20 years ago there were hundreds of operators to choose from, however the more powerful Thomsons became the less and less choice we had, now they are the only buig tour operator left, any that try to compete simply fold as we have seen several times this summer. Continue to give Tesco your business at your own peril....just dont complain when the only Loans, Insurance, Electronics, food etc etc etc you can get is from Tesco! PS.....get some tasebuds, that will put you off going there too.....bland is not a strong enough description!

The truth is the truth! well said Double D.

Whatareyousaying wrote:
Fairly simple this really, the land does not belong to the lewes road community.......If they wanted it, they should have purchased it....

They offered to buy the land. At which point the developers went silent. :/

Whatareyousaying wrote:
Fairly simple this really, the land does not belong to the lewes road community.......If they wanted it, they should have purchased it....

They offered to buy the land. At which point the developers went silent. :/

The developers went silent? Or did they just refuse a derisory offer? You have a habit of just making things up to suit your arguments. In an earlier post you suggest that the eviction is unlawful, not true, that Brighton and Hove planning department have been bribed by Tescos, not true, that Tescos is a monopoly/cartel, not true, and then you go onto to claim things you cannot possibly know. The truth is that you dont have any really good arguments so you just make things up.
As for Caroline Lucas, Im still waiting for some proof to back up her statement that the decommissioners had clearly exhausted all democratic avenues, strange that as a previous poster noted, she only talks to and represents the views of people she agrees with. The nazis used to spend a lot of time demonstrating against chain stores, perhaps you lot and the EDL have more in common than you think.

BriCo wrote:
"Caroline Lucas is meeting with Tesco management tomorrow (Wednesday) in London to tell them that their store is not wanted on the Lewes Road. " Who says the store is not wanted - I suspect that Lady Lucas has only spoken to the people she wants to speak to rather than all her constituency members. The so called protest is pointless. Lewis Road is a commercial street and needs shops such as Tescos to attract people + we need housing. There are plenty of parks in the area we don't need the re-creation of a bomb site. Where were these protestors when they started building a football stadium on an AONB.

I totally agree with the above. Caroline Lucas is a complete joke. If this site is not developed into a Tesco, then it will be developed into another commercial venture. Will she then be visiting the management of that company to tell her that there business is not wanted. As you say, Lewes Road is a COMMERCIAL Street. Deal with it.

Bring on the new betting shop - and after a little wager, I shall head off to the nearby Tesco express and purchase a nice little meal deal. Yayyyyyyy!!! :)

I liked the original garden. I thought it was a good idea, and a good use of unused land.
However, it was never going to be permanent, and these idiots who are now squatting on the land will find that eventually they will be removed, maybe forcibly - because that is the law of the land whether you like it or not.
I think there was an argument that the council should have compulsorily purchased the land and designated it a green space, but I don't think they had enough money for it after having paid out £500,000 as a retirement sweetener to a chief executive nowhere near retirement age.
I personally don't care whether they put a Tescos there or not. If you want to force them out, don't shop there. If it doesn't make money they will be gone in no time.

Shame about the end of the garden. I had only just planted some veg at the back for winter, and sowed some flowers for next year. Before work. And planned to water them every so often.. after work. Looks like people on this comments board have plenty of time to sit indoors at their screens instead of making a positive contribution to their community. What community? Do you even care about anything beyond your short sighted gains...

Holly G wrote:
Shame about the end of the garden. I had only just planted some veg at the back for winter, and sowed some flowers for next year. Before work. And planned to water them every so often.. after work. Looks like people on this comments board have plenty of time to sit indoors at their screens instead of making a positive contribution to their community. What community? Do you even care about anything beyond your short sighted gains...

I think you will find a positive contribution will be provided in the new homes that will be built and the generation of several more very needed jobs in the area.

If you wish to grow veg and flowers, then why not in your own private garden? If you have not got a garden, then rent an allotment. Simples!

Garden? Short sighted? Have the residents of Lewes Road become so completely and utterly urbanised that:

1) They are completely oblivious to the countless amount of parks and open spaces available in Brighton & Hove.

2) A 15 minute drive or bus journey on the 77 takes you to devil's dyke where all you can see is the lush green of the south downs.

3) Their opinion of the city is so poor that a derilict petrol station forecourt is classified as a 'garden'.

4) An area of Brighton that is only beaten by London Road in its run down and grotty appearance protests against new business and investment.

Presumably none of these people have ever ventured out of the city borders to fully appreciate the green space available to them.

A neutral speaks:
It is a shame that it's ended this way. As has been pointed out it was only ever meant to be temporary, and listening to my friends who live opposite the people involved at the end were not the same as the people who set it up originally. It does mean that both the council and site owners will be more wary before allowing such a project to go ahead again - more's the pity as it was a GREAT idea.
.
As for the Tesco 'not being wanted', well we'll see. Maybe it will be a colossal failure (and part of me hopes it will be), but if it provides cheap food and convienient opening hours it will be popular with working people, to say nothing of the jobs. Not every one in the Lewes Road area is middle-class, organic Green voter.

DoubleD wrote:

mikebaden wrote:

DoubleD wrote:
I boycott Tesco's for several reasons!
Firstly, my tastebuds work well and like it when I put food in my mouth that actually has some flavour.
Secondly, I find the corporate machine that is Tesco, far too powerful. They will not be happy until there is no competition and that for us as consumers can only be a bad thing.
I have seen a similar thing happen in the package holiday market, 20 years ago there were hundreds of operators to choose from, however the more powerful Thomsons became the less and less choice we had, now they are the only buig tour operator left, any that try to compete simply fold as we have seen several times this summer.
Continue to give Tesco your business at your own peril....just dont complain when the only Loans, Insurance, Electronics, food etc etc etc you can get is from Tesco!

PS.....get some tasebuds, that will put you off going there too.....bland is not a strong enough description!

You do realise most of the food stocked in every supermarket is exactly the same? Tesco Tuna is the same as Sainsburys tuna. Sainsburys bread is the same as Tesco's bread. The ready meals, sandwiches etc, are all made by the same companies. I have a friend who once had a stint in a sandwich factory that made pre-packed sandwiches for 3 different shops. So your point there is hideously flawed, the only way you could buy food that is actually different is to buy everything you eat from independent food shops. That might suit you, but there's no convenience in it.

As for your rant about the holiday package market, absolute tosh. If you think Thomsons are the only operators, you seriously need to do some research to back up your arguments. There are dozens of other operators, and there are also hundreds of smaller independent operators that offer more unique and specific packages. Virgin Holidays, First Choice, Thomas Cook, Teletext Holidays, Lastminute.com, Ebookers, Directline, expedia. They are all big holiday companies. "the only tour operator left" O really? I haven't even begun to list all the independent operators of which there are dozens.

At the end of the day, when one, or a few, companies get big it is up to the smaller companies to use their business sense to adapt and change. Independent holiday companies survive now because they offer something the bigger ones can't. For example some offer unique tours around very specific areas. There is no point blaming Tesco for market dominance, if the smaller shops are under threat, which I'd argue they aren't (Taj, anyone?), then it is up to them to find a way to adapt and offer customers something Tesco can't. Taj manages it by offering diverse and interesting foods. Infinity Foods has been around for donkeys years and has continued to thrive by offering products and service Tesco doesn't. I was there yesterday and it was just as bustling and busy as it was before Tesco came to new road and queens road.

/endrant.

First Choice, Thomas Cook, both part of TUI, do your research and you will find many others are too....Airtours, etc etc. The others you mention are not tour operators, they are agencies who sell on behalf of operators. Yes there are lots of little ones out there, but they struggle to survive in a market dominated by the ever powerful TUI. Please dont lecture me on this again, I worked for over a decade for tour operators and airlines and do know what I am talking about.

Taj and Infinity survive by offering unique services, and are not really in direct competition with Tesco, so your argument on that is pretty pointless I'm affraid.

Tinned food is the same where ever you get it of course and yes a lot of the ingredients that go into Tesco food will be the same as the other big supermarkets, I wont argue with that, a lot of what Sainsbury sell is pretty bland too.
However, this article is not about Sainsbury is it, Its about Tesco, and my staement of opinion stands, their food is Bland at best!

My point is you claimed that TUI, or whatever you want to call them, are the "only big tour operator left" which is clearly nonsense, and at best an exaggeration. There are 360 operators listed on ABBTA alone, and I'm sure not all of them are just selling someone elses packages. So what if some smaller ones struggle to survive? The whole point of running a business is that you adapt and change. It's their job to find gaps in the market, and exploit areas that the biggers ones don't. And many agencies are now thriving, particularly with the student gap year market which is huge!

"Please don't lecture me on this again, I'm an expert" Stupid, stupid statement. You know nothing of my background, you just make a swift assumption that you are the "expert" over me. I'm not even going to bother countering nonsensical rubbish like that - this is a battle of the egos, though I wonder if yours is too big for the comments box.


"Taj and Infinity survive by offering unique services, and are not really in direct competition with Tesco, so your argument on that is pretty pointless I'm affraid. "

Er, I think you missed the point. In fact, you didn't just miss it, you pole-vaulted over it. The whole point of what I was saying is that smaller shops should NOT be competing with Tesco and that they should be exploiting other areas of the foods market. Taj and Infinity have done this, that is why they survive. Bookshops have had to do the same with Amazon. You adapt, and change, and evolve - or your business fails. Blaming other businesses for getting big is not the issue, it is up to the smaller companies to adapt to survive. Many do do this, as I've proved with Taj and Infinity. There really is no reason to blame Tesco, if Taj/Infinity and many others are able to adapt and survive, so can anyone else.

this is not a battle of the egos, that was meant to say.

mikebaden wrote:
this is not a battle of the egos, that was meant to say.

Hmmm, not a battle of Ego's, but your not going to give up till you have the last word are you.

I have no interest in your background.

Really cant be bothered to continue with this petty discussion either.
I reserve the right to dislike Tesco for the way they conduct their business and for the bland crap that they sell.
I'm not blaming them for anything, after all, they have share holders to keep happy, doesnt mean I have to like them though.

Right....I'm off for lunch to buy a bland sandwich from co-op.......enjoy the rest of your day ;-)

OK Mike!
Changed my mind on the bland sandwich, went for a Truffles sausage roll instead. Yummy!

Anyway, just been checking out TUI's website......over 200 hundred brands under their umbrella....crazy...
...
I understand your argument and what you say is valid to a degree.....by finding the markets Tesco et al are not interested in and adapting the business to not be in direct competition is a model for success. That however only holds water while Tesco have no interest. What happens though when the market one particular business is successful in becomes highly profitable and the likes of Tesco et al become interested and want a peice of that Pie.

Check out TUI's website and you will find a host of operators on there, that were once specialist operators and not really on TUI's radar as they weren't in direct competition.
At some point, TUI has looked at these businesses and decided they want a piece of that pie. Hayes and Jarvis for example. Used to be a really nice and unique specialist long haul operator. Now just another part of TUI. With that they have lost there individualism and unique identity.

I have no issue with Tesco or TUI etc etc being successful, I just fear the day when you look around for something different but find there is only one place to go.
Its happening all around us in all areas of industry. Whether it be banking, insurance, food, whatever.
Here's a challenge for you.....tell me how many different businesses in Brighton sell Motor Oil.
My guess is you will struggle to find more than a few!

ICantThinkOfAName wrote:
Why don't the protesters lease up the other shop and set up in competition to Tesco. They then can prove that what they can offer is superior.

Brilliant. Totally and utterly brilliant suggestion!

JHunty wrote:
The developers went silent? Or did they just refuse a derisory offer? You have a habit of just making things up to suit your arguments. In an earlier post you suggest that the eviction is unlawful, not true, that Brighton and Hove planning department have been bribed by Tescos, not true, that Tescos is a monopoly/cartel, not true, and then you go onto to claim things you cannot possibly know. The truth is that you dont have any really good arguments so you just make things up.
As for Caroline Lucas, Im still waiting for some proof to back up her statement that the decommissioners had clearly exhausted all democratic avenues, strange that as a previous poster noted, she only talks to and represents the views of people she agrees with. The nazis used to spend a lot of time demonstrating against chain stores, perhaps you lot and the EDL have more in common than you think.

The residents and original gardeners offered to buy the land at 1.2 million. Hardly a derisory offer. The eviction was unlawful on several counts. Mainly the fact that on the high court writ dated the 2nd of july 2010 there are completely different land registry parcel numbers. Thus invalidating the writ of possession. This is still in process with the High Court of Justice Chancery Division, Brighton.. I said that the developers met with the planning dept privately and amended the plans and did NOT return to the community for approval/discussion. When a company owns the largest share of retail land in comparison to the others in the market. It has the monopoly. If it uses it weight to undercut existing markets with its price wars and force the closures of other markets.
"Directly or indirectly fix purchase or selling prices or any other trading conditions" that, under the EU's Competition law article 81 of the Treaty of Rome.However since The Treaty of Lisbon came into effect, the 81 EG is replaced by 101 AEUV. That my friend is classed as the behaviour of a cartel.
And how does wanting to save a community greenspace from a multinational and expose flaws in our planning dept make one a Nazi ? :)

This ongoing argument and seige is now a pointless waste of everybodys time:
-
It was only ever temporary so get over it! You dont own the land and if you did and someone tried to occupy it against your wishes would you be happy...no thought not..
-
Tescos may not be your thing , if so you dont have to shop there do you! You have a free will and choice of other shops.

Made In Sussex wrote:
This ongoing argument and seige is now a pointless waste of everybodys time:
-
It was only ever temporary so get over it! You dont own the land and if you did and someone tried to occupy it against your wishes would you be happy...no thought not..
-
Tescos may not be your thing , if so you dont have to shop there do you! You have a free will and choice of other shops.

If your property bordered the site and you had not been properly consulted would you think that arguing for a more just approach to planning was a pointless waste of time ? This directly affects some of us on this forum. It is not a question of sitting in front of a computer and passing out comments it's about what we will see when we look up from our desks or out of our windows.Or actually what we no longer see. Some residents are looking at completely losing all light to the back of their properties. For some it is not about just Tesco but a poor planning dept here in Brighton.

Suxinthecity wrote:

Made In Sussex wrote:
This ongoing argument and seige is now a pointless waste of everybodys time:
-
It was only ever temporary so get over it! You dont own the land and if you did and someone tried to occupy it against your wishes would you be happy...no thought not..
-
Tescos may not be your thing , if so you dont have to shop there do you! You have a free will and choice of other shops.

If your property bordered the site and you had not been properly consulted would you think that arguing for a more just approach to planning was a pointless waste of time ? This directly affects some of us on this forum. It is not a question of sitting in front of a computer and passing out comments it's about what we will see when we look up from our desks or out of our windows.Or actually what we no longer see. Some residents are looking at completely losing all light to the back of their properties. For some it is not about just Tesco but a poor planning dept here in Brighton.

Thank you Suxinthecity. The gardens that are left in Brighton are tiny to start off with. And now we are going to lose what little space we have so a big multinational can make profit off the back of our homes. I have just planted a load of vegetables out the back which once that building goes up will be starved of sunlight. I love my little garden and now it's going to turn into a dark well. So depressing. :(

This is the best news I have heard all day and I live in the area. The ironic thing is that the stupid hippies don't even own the land, they are just squatters and they are kicking up a fuss.

Oh well plenty more things for them to concentrate on, like the EDL March is coming up. The usual rent a crowd Left wing extremists.

As for comments about right wing people going back to Worthing? What are you on about? You don't have to be right wing to think this is a disgrace.

As someone who supports business and economic development in Brighton, unlike Caroline Lucas, who i might mention has never had a proper job; this is overall a good move for creating jobs and working people in the area.

Well done!

If this what you truly believe and you really do support local economic and business development why haven't we heard you speak for the development at the many Triangle Community meetings?