Report from Tim Fairhurst (JAG Chair):
1. Attendance: there were 3 representatives of Sainsbury’s including the project manager for any building/environmental works; all three ward councillors; a licensing officer from Lambeth, and Chuka as chair; I would guess about 80-90 members of the public.
2. Opinions were varied. I think it is fair to say that on balance there were strong concerns expressed about effect on local business, traffic, parking and road-crossing safety. If it goes ahead, there was a strong call for mitigation from Sainsbury’s in the form of: local employment, apprenticeships and paid internships; litter control; environmental and road improvement; traffic control.
3. The opening hours on the application form are misleading – apparently it is standard to apply for 24hr opening (not alcohol sales), but Sainsbury’s intention is – probably – opening hours of 7am to 11pm.
4. The licence application is the main obstacle remaining for Sainsbury’s, not planning (whose applications were largely cosmetic – with a question mark about Rush Common referral which we’ll follow up).
Extract taken from Urban75 blog:
” I went to (most of) tonight’s community session, run by Chuka with reps from Lambeth Council and Sainsbury’s on the panel.
There was a good turn out from the local community, and although the majority were opposed or concerned, there were also some people who were pro.
Some of the points raised included:
– Traffic (Both customer vehicles, and delivery / waste collection, Crossing safety on BWL, Impact/viability of the existing national cycle route, Arodene Rd Rat Run)
– Employment Policy (Hire of Local Staff, Staff Continuity, London Living Wage, Hire of local young people for *paid* training/apprenticeship).
– Customer Engagement (Benefit of familiar counter staff, relationship in independents, vs. Checkout or No Staff, i.e. Self Checkout)
– Community Relationships in General (including accepting the Brixton Pound).
– The Council acting for the community, beyond it’s basic legal mandate re: planning
One overriding theme was impact on local independents. Sainsbury’s reps claimed other stores of theirs had been a positive catalyst, one council rep said the evidence was the opposite.
Not everyone was anti/concerned, and people who were pro were invited (by Chuka) to have their say, and were by and large treated respectfully by everyone else.”
See full article.
