Page 55 - Phonebox Magazine June 2009

TESNO in Newport Pagnell
On Saturday 11th May at Midday, campaigners from the TESNO organisation took to the streets of Newport Pagnell, opposing the newly proposed Tesco supermarket at Aston Martin Lagonda, a World Automotive Heritage site. TESNO is a non-political community organisation comprising of residents and neighbours in Newport Pagnell who are outraged by such a proposal.
Residents clearly wanted to demonstrate their fears that a Tesco supermarket would mark the death of the town’s high street and indeed it’s heritage. To show their concerns campaigners rendered a funeral procession led by three marching bag pipers and chairman of TESNO, ‘grim retailer’ Tom Lonergan. Following them was a retinue of ghouls pushing shopping trolleys filled with Tesco bags, a hearse carrying a coffin with ‘RIP High Street’ garlands and numerous classic cars and motorbikes.
Tom mentions: We’re not against Tesco or any other
superstore, we’re just pro our Community and our High Street. We don’t want a ghost town. At the moment retailers in the town are living off the crumbs left over from the monthly out-of-town shopping frenzy that we have all become accustomed to. This current credit crunch has presented the worst economic conditions for more than thirty years, possibly even 50 years. If those crumbs are taken away the high street will die a death. We have a community here. Everyday people from every street in the town are outraged and have joined this campaign to support the town and the high street. We have awakened a fantastic community spirit that is a priceless commodity. “You can’t buy one and you can’t get one for free”.
Tesco has the largest Superstore in Western Europe just a couple of miles away in Kingston. TESNO explain: “Most of us will honestly say
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that we use this store currently. There is already a Tesco Store in Green Park and the other twenty plus stores in Milton Keynes are within a 10-15 minute drive if we want them. There is no need for another Tesco Superstore in Newport Pagnell. It offers ‘no value’ whatsoever to the town.”
TESNO state that thousands of residents have committed their support for the community and for TESNO with written letters of objection to this proposal.
Tesco claim that they believe the majority of people who live in Newport Pagnell are already leaving the town to do their main shopping. They want to provide residents with the option to shop locally and are looking into ways of introducing a positive impact on
the high street for both businesses and people.
(M.S.)
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Phonebox Magazine 55