Tesco’s previous takeover in Ainsdale and latest community double standards

by
7th September 2016

How Woodvale and Ainsdale Community Association (WACA) is aiding and abetting a mega superstore that previously created animosity for traders in Ainsdale.

In 2011, plans for a controversial Express Tesco store on Station Road provoked an enormous public reaction in Ainsdale village with almost 4,000 people signing a petition against the proposal. Local shop keepers feared loss of trade, with good reason.

Cllr Haydn Preece was reported to have stated: “From the very beginning, I stated we would prefer local shops owned by local people but the reality locally and nationally was always, if Tesco decided to take these units, they could.”

Labour councillors were ultimately responsible for letting Tesco into Ainsdale at the end of the day.

Ainsdale Conservative councillor, Terry Jones (a friend of WACA on Facebook) was involved in a campaign against the Tesco store. Cllr Jones said at that time that he would continue the fight against the store. However, last year the Ainsdale Tories conveniently changed their agenda and were ‘supporting’ moves to bring in another supermarket chain store a mile or so up the road from the main village in Woodvale.

Speaking about the Woodvale Brook eyesore area, Cllr Ted Hartill told the local media: “A couple of retail outlets want to knock it down and rebuild it and I think that would be ideal. One of them being Aldi. Mr Hartill, who suddenly resigned his seat in local politics before the last election, was once the Chairmen of WACA

Nevertheless, today we can see WACA actively working with and promoting’ the Tesco giant within the Ainsdale area.
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Tesco have carefully worked their special charms of blatant ‘self –promotion’, via using the well-tried and tested technique of placing themselves in a position of public trust (big smiles and a few donations never fail to impress)  within the Ainsdale community.

In the UK, Tesco have what they affectionately call ‘Community Champions’ who act as ambassadors for Tesco within their given area. The ruse seems to be to target community hot spots, like charities, and gain a progressive foothold of local amicable acceptance via a few well-needed donations. Charity fundraisers of course have to keep the money rolling in to keep ‘themselves’ in a job as well. But ultimately at what cost to local traders, etc? How utterly gullible can some people be? Keep smiling folks!

Tesco have been highly active in cleverly endorsing themselves within the WACA facility.

This is a shrewd ruse that they practise in many areas to gain a more acceptable community presence. Many trusting souls never even see it coming until of course the new planning applications arrive to disenfranchise yet ‘more’ local traders. This is how ‘Tesco Town’ works and many are allowing it to do so, without challenge!

Tesco critics are not impressed

According to Friends of the Earth: ‘Tesco claims that it supports local communities and creates jobs for local people. But it does not say how many other jobs in local communities may be lost as a result of its new superstores opening as local shops close down. It also fails to describe the impacts on a community that loses its local shops or vital services like post offices. More than 13 thousand specialist stores, including butchers, bakers, fishmongers and newsagents, closed between 1997- 2002 leaving many communities without accessible shops and services.’

WACA, which is ‘supposed’ to promote the Ainsdale community presumably includes traders. However, WACA is effectively helping this mega supermarket chain gain an even greater foothold within the same community that previously challenged its inroads into Ainsdale.

How long will it be before WACA’s buddies at Tesco wish to take over ‘another’ part of our town? It is happening to many UK communities everywhere!

Just a few of the many other communities that said ‘NO’ to Tesco Town inroads!  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-21631306  

https://stokescroft.wordpress.com/2010/02/14/no-tesco-in-stokes-croft-protest-the-community-finds-its-voice/  

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/residents-launch-campaign-stop-new-6466700

Have you fallen for the Tesco community infiltration ruse yet? 

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