Tory Councillors last night blocked plans for the new Lidl store on Queens Park.
I, and the local community, are disgusted. I understand that Lidl are considering an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
I want to say a
huge thank you to the hundreds of people who signed petitions, wrote letters, and who have phoned and emailed me about this scheme. It's been a pleasure and a privilege, as always, to put your views across, but unfortunately, the Tory Councillors on the Committee have ignored your wishes, and blocked the plans.
We won't give up, we'll keep up the pressure to have a low-price supplier of fresh food as near as possible to the Queens Park Estate, whether that be Lidl or another company, on the Harry Feeney site or somewhere nearby.
Never forget what the Tories have done to us. This is who they are, and this is how they operate. All of the Labour Councillors on the Committee backed you, as did your Labour MP, Gordon Marsden.
Thanks to everyone who turned up at the meeting last night, and to all those who've called me today to offer their commiserations and pledged their support to keep this issue alive. I understand that a lot of people have e-mailed or written to the Leader of the Tory Party, David Cameron, to express their disgust at the manner in which Tory Councillors voted - you can, by the way,
e-mail David Cameron here or the Tory Leader of Blackpool Council
here - but I wouldn't expect much of a reply! You can also
write to David Cameron at
Rt Hon David Cameron MP, The House of Commons, Westminster, SW1A 0AA.
The Tory Councillors who voted against Lidl are : Cllr. Jim Houldsworth (who originally said he was worried about traffic on the site, but who now claims to believe the store is too big!), Councillor Roger Stansfield, Councillor Tony Lee (who had the cheek to suggest that seeing as I was concerned the Council might be trying to pull the Tower Blocks down, I was wasting my time fighting for a Supermarket on the site!), Councillor Sue Fowler and Councillor Jim Price - The Tory Chairman, Cllr Peter Evans, didn't vote.
Remember those names - I've no doubt we'll come across them again in the future!
UPDATED SUNDAY 31st AUGUST 2008 - Great news! Following considerable lobbying and campaigning from myself, fellow Cllr. Gary Coleman, Gwen, James and all at the Queens Park Residents Association, Lidl have submitted a further set of plans which are now being considered by the Council. Watch this space, but I'm led to believe that this application might just be the one that FINALLY gets approved!
