Tesco / ASDA !!!

[Miss Marple]

More common sense written today by belly, heritage and wheels than by all the rest of us for the past twelve months!

I also agree with Simone sometimes, but I'm not convinced by ' the College should have stood up to them (MIA) but they didn't , they cowed and hid away and let the community down by their craven behaviour.' I have a feeling that we will see in due course that the college was right not to respond. There's a lot to be said for remaining silent when you are under attack - sometimes a response can confer a credibility on the attackers which they do not deserve.    

MIA always had a line of communication with the college.

[Dave]

More common sense written today by belly, heritage and wheels than by all the rest of us for the past twelve months!

I also agree with Simone sometimes, but I'm not convinced by ' the College should have stood up to them (MIA) but they didn't , they cowed and hid away and let the community down by their craven behaviour.' I have a feeling that we will see in due course that the college was right not to respond. There's a lot to be said for remaining silent when you are under attack - sometimes a response can confer a credibility on the attackers which they do not deserve.   

[acoustician]

thats virtually my shopping neatly summarised

[Heritage]

To pick up on Victor M's point.....WalMart are fairly unlikely to have a live feed from the Marple Forum in their planning ops room....in fact nobody in WalMart HQ will have the foggiest where Stockport is, never mind Marple, and they could lose the money involved in this project down the back of their corporate sofa. So it would be better for everyone's lives just to sit back and relax....perhaps have a glass of wine from the selection at Toast....or call in for a coffee at Portobello....or a cake at All Things Nice.

On your way home, pick up some meat from White's or Littlewood's. Grab some fruit and veg from Neal's. Perhaps a paper from the newsagent, and some choccies for later tonight from the Thornton's selection on the corner. Oh - better get some paracetamol from Boots in case you have a hangover from the real ales you remember you got from Bargain Booze last week - their offers are great - and some straw for the rabbit from the pet shop....the kids have never done it like they promised!

And before you know it, instead of posting another fairly introspective blog here aimed at...well....the 0.0025% of the local population who replied to the last posting you put up on a very similar point six months ago, you've actually gone out and supported the town. Where did the time go?

Come on everyone....less round robin postings about walking to the college or gathering some signatures which will go into the shredder at the council offices....wait for the planning exercise to begin and meanwhile get out of the bloody house and actually support the town you live in!!

THAT is the way you will stop a supermarket....

[Victor M]

If you wish to define the College it as a commercial business then that's up to you. ASDA is a commercial business that deals in profit to the exclusion of everthing else. A college should deal with the development of Children and young People. The Asda is being built for the shareholders to the exclusion of everything else the College is being refurbished for the students in our community.

Just like to point out that since 1999 Asda has been wholly owned by Wal-Mart – the largest company and arguably 'the most ruthless employer' in the world. If you are unsure what kind of organisation Wal-Mart is then look at the following link, there are lots of others as well detailing Wal-Marts activities www.corporatewatch.org

[simonesaffron]

I probably agree with you there Simone. But who has placed the college under siege if not the so called 'community'?

If there hadn't been quite so much abuse bandied around, we might have got a lot more involvement and a bit more give and take.

There is an argument that we reap what we sow.

Wheels,

It isn't the general community that has been abusive it is the "leaders of MarpleInaction that have hurled the abuse. These people are not the communiity, they represent a section of the community - probably the the vocal minority. They are fond of saying they are the community but they are not. However, the College should have stood up to them but they didn't , they cowed and hid away and let the community down by their craven behaviour.   

[simonesaffron]

Wheels,

If you wish to define the College it as a commercial business then that's up to you. ASDA is a commercial business that deals in profit to the exclusion of everthing else. A college should deal with the development of Children and young People. The Asda is being built for the shareholders to the exclusion of everything else the College is being refurbished for the students in our community.

As for getting the service elsewhere, How many supermarkets are there in Stockport, how many 6th form Colleges are there ? Do you compare the unique ambitions, aspirations and education of our children to a cheap shirt...one is nothing special and you can get it absolutely anywhere...the other is and you can't.     

[Belly]

I probably agree with you there Simone. But who has placed the college under siege if not the so called 'community'?

If there hadn't been quite so much abuse bandied around, we might have got a lot more involvement and a bit more give and take.

There is an argument that we reap what we sow.

[simonesaffron]

So please explain Simone how all the huffing and puffing over the last year has added one jot to what would have happened in any event.

We are at exactly the same place as if the thoughts of the Governors had never become public, that is a developer presenting outline ideas in advance of a planning application.

Please explain what has so far been achieved?

You're quite right right Wheels  all the "huffing and puffing" has made no difference to what has happened nor will it make any difference to what is actually going to happen. Personally apart from the intertwaddle I haven't been involved in any. I certainly haven't been on any marches nor signed any petitions, and  IMHO most people in Marple have done the same as me. I have always held the view that I will have my opinion informed when I see the planning application but that is not the same as saying that the College (and I think we should remember that it is one) has behaved in a way that a College should behave as it hasn't. It has deveoped a complete siege mentality and totally disengaged itself from the community it puports to serve.   

[wheels]

But the college now is a commercial business thanks to the Tories removing it from LA control and it does have a product that can be easily accessed elsewhere so just on your first two premise alone you fall down Simone

[simonesaffron]

Belly,


What I actually meant to say in my last post which was cut short due to techno inability was this:


If the College was a commercial business.

If the College provided a product that you could easily find elsewhere.

If the College didn't have charge of the hearts and minds of our children and young people.

If the College had made a statement of development at any stage.

If the College hadn't consistently refused to see our local Councillors.

If the College hadn't been the complete opposite of open and transparent.

If the College hadn't allowed itself to be completely cowed by MIA.

If the College hadn't refused to make at least one appearance at the last 13 Area Committees.

If the Community didn't consider the College as part of the community.

If we didn't expect a College to lead by good example.

If the College wasn't actually a College but in reality was actually ASDA.


Then you would have made some good points in your last post.

     

[wheels]

The difference is that had the college managed to keep it quiet, then the Chadwick St. site would not have been marketed for development and the Wilmar Supermarket would have been given planning permission.
Now there is every likelyhood that Wilmar will have the planning application turned down and there will be a new Supermarket on Chadwick St. That's why the college wanted to keep the lid on it.

That's not correct Victor the ASDA proposals do mot meet planning guidelines so would and I expext will be declined in any event.

We will then move to appeal,l that was always going to be the process and people have been mislead if they think otherwise.

[wheels]

So please explain Simone how all the huffing and puffing over the last year has added one jot to what would have happened in any event.

We are at exactly the same place as if the thoughts of the Governors had never become public, that is a developer presenting outline ideas in advance of a planning application.

Please explain what has so far been achieved?

[Victor M]

The difference is that had the college managed to keep it quiet, then the Chadwick St. site would not have been marketed for development and the Walmart Supermarket would have been given planning permission.
Now there is every likelyhood that Walmart will have the planning application turned down and there will be a new Supermarket on Chadwick St. That's why the college wanted to keep the lid on it.

[simonesaffron]

Incorrect Belly and Wheels,

If the College were an ordinary business that provided a take it or leave it service to the community.

 that you could easily get from many other outlets.