Tesco are taking locals and jobs
I WOULD like to add my voice to that of local residents and CAMRA regarding the targeting by Tesco of local community pubs. As noted in your article on August 30, a number of pubs have been, or are scheduled to be, closed in the Bristol area and turned into supermarkets, often against the wishes of the local community. Maybe some of the pubs were no longer viable but a significant number were and in other cases still are. Where they are supported by the local community they should not be allowed to close depriving the community of a valuable meeting and entertainment place, and adding to the decline of the 'high street' or residential areas.
The pub industry is already in deep trouble due to excessive taxation, high profits sought by the pubcos and supermarket pricing. When Tesco say they provide jobs in new stores by closing pubs they are taking away the jobs that already exist in the pub supply chain. And usually there are job losses in local businesses that inevitably suffer with the appearance of a new aggressive national chain store.
A major issue is the way Tesco ignores the wishes of the local community.
We all know what happened in Stokes Croft, unfortunately the same method of unfair and biased local 'consultation' has been carried out in the case of the Bristol House Inn in Weston-super-Mare. And although a public meeting took place last night to discuss the viability of keeping the pub open, Tesco stated that they would not attend because they 'do not feel it would be productive'.
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What kind of message does that give the local community?
Another point worth noting is that the type of pub targeted (i.e. the community pub with all its benefits of social cohesion) is often needed as a focus for those people who are alone and looking for company, and often elderly.
If the 'local' disappears and they cannot travel, not only a source of entertainment but a support system is lost.
Roy Sanders
Westbury Park
THE West of England Variety branch Equity wholeheartedly support CAMRA and all residents in their efforts to get Tesco to rethink their strategy into buying up public houses, especially where the pub is and has been the heart of the community.
Of all professions in this country, the entertainment industry is suffering more than most. This is in fairness, due to a number of issues, without venues such as pubs being sold off to supermarket chains just to realise some capital for the breweries and pubcos. If these venues were to be given a fair chance in the first place, most would be viable businesses. Tesco and others are targeting – and despite what they say, they are targeting – these venues as easy pickings for the simple reason that they already have a premises licence which saves the supermarket chains the hassle of having to apply for change of use.
Over the years, a major level of business was carried out in the pubs of this land, people would meet up, have a drink, smoke, listen to some musicians plying their trade whilst discussing the whys and wherefores of everyday life, a very British way.
Now mainly down to the greed of the pubcos and supermarkets this country will very soon be in a position of having very few pubs to visit. We will have nowhere to go and sit and have a drink with friends, Entertainment will be a distant memory and we will all be wondering what it is a grandparents are talking about.
'Pub? What is a pub, grandad?'
Cliff Evans
Comments
by brisguide
Friday, September 07 2012, 10:33AM
“Perhaps things have moved on?”