Lewes Road community garden could become people's supermarket

7:00pm Friday 8th April 2011 in News By Neil Vowles

Residents believe they may have found an alternative to a supermarket in their high street - a people's supermarket.

Community groups are exploring the possibility of having an ethical store at the former site of the Lewes Road community garden in Brighton.

The idea of a people's supermarket run by volunteers and selling local, fresh produce was recently explored in a Channel 4 TV series and residents say they are keen to explore alternatives to a nationwide chain store moving there.

One option would see volunteers pay a fee to join the supermarket and in return for working for free they would be given discounts.

Community gardeners were removed from the site in September and developer Alburn Minos began building apartments and shops there despite Tesco withdrawing plans to move in.

A meeting to discuss the possibility of a people's supermarket will be held on Wednesday April 13 from 6.30pm at the Friends' Meeting House in Ship Street, Brighton.

Comments(10)

GRANDAD says...
7:21pm Fri 8 Apr 11

I hope the meeting goes well and a plan can be formulated to make this a financially viable and working concern. I applaud anyone who tries to do things for themselves and I wish them all the luck with their scheme.

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superlative says...
7:54pm Fri 8 Apr 11

I thought the whole point of the protest was that Lewes Road doesn't need another supermarket? The official point anyway; we all know this was really an anti-big-business protest.

I don't see how people can complain to the council that the area is saturated with supermarkets, then apply to run a people's supermarket five minutes later.

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thewhitehawker says...
10:36pm Fri 8 Apr 11

The community garden was full of drop outs, low lifes and bums . Next to a heavily trafficed road it made me laugh seeing the weirdos sitting in there like it was jerusalem. Because of them we aint getting a new supermarket . In our economic times we need as much business as poss. The supermarkets are currently one of our success stories .No one should be afraid of them its just competition . Take a leaf out how the indians and pakistanis run their corner shops . they will work day or night if they have to and they survive

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191919 says...
10:41pm Fri 8 Apr 11

Call me a cynic, but do you honestly think the developer who had to EVICT squatters from his site, will actually want anything to do with them or their friends, OR to actually allow them to run ANYTHING community based there?

They have managed to KILL stone dead any hope the developer will be amenable to anything like that now!

DUMB MUPPETS!!!!!

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BriCo says...
10:49pm Fri 8 Apr 11

Unless it is cheap I don't think it will last.

Unway why does Lewes Road need another supermarket - perhaps they can protest against themselves.

Better give it to Waitrose - employee owned company or the Co-op - co-operatively run and owned by its members

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MoreMikey says...
6:21am Sat 9 Apr 11

"perhaps they can protest against themselves."

Brilliant!...and I'm not being sarcastic.

@superlative: spot on.

Actually, I agree with all of the above posts, including GRANDAD, although I think he's overly optimistic.

I fear, though, that none of the people involved with the "Community Garden" have any clue how to run a business - you know, actually paying for things - so this idea is probably DOA.

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steveP2009 says...
8:56am Sat 9 Apr 11

All hot air, it's never gonna happen. Build some flats and get over it.

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Ballroom Blitz says...
9:05am Sat 9 Apr 11

It could work, but they will have to be aware that there's a Co-Op right next door, and countless other 'convenience' stores.
There's no point in trying to compete with them, they need to offer something different - like Infinity Foods do. There are plenty of reasonably well off people who live adjacent to the Lewes Rd who would welcome someone supplying reasonably priced, good quality organic produce.
Forget about going for the student market - that's what everyone else is chasing. They haven't got any money anyway.
That is the best way to make it work and turn a profit.

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Morpheus says...
3:49pm Sat 9 Apr 11

What we need is the main supermarkets to stock local produce and not import vegetables from Spain, Africa, Peru or anywhere else.

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PC mcgary no452 says...
9:32am Mon 11 Apr 11

Needle Exchange?

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