Below is an extract from an email I received from Mike Harwood of De Lacy Mount in reaction to the recent article in Kirkstall Matters issue 111. I am interested to hear other comments and reactions from local residents about the Tesco issue and whether they share the belief that the article has been written as spin for Tesco:

“Your piece in K M has made me sad for two reasons and angry for at least one.

You include a bar chart. A bar chart is, as I understand it, a figure designed as a graphical representation of certain statistical data. As I understand it, your bar chart is meant to represent your survey of opinion in relation to the Tesco proposal; those for (36.36%), those against (61.04%), and those undecided (2.6%)  As I understand it, and I am in this as in all things always happy to be corrected, your bar chart is sadly, mistakenly and significantly inaccurate; and is drawn heavily and inaccurately to the advantage of those in favour of the proposal. 

The second reason for my sadness is the juxtaposition of this with another piece in KM – A Panegyric in the Abbey Garden to Geoff Hodgson. The memory of Geoff is rightly honoured here in Kirkstall, among other reasons, because he led a heroic campaign against the intrusion of one giant supermarket, Morrisons  in what used to be known happily as our urban village. And that was just one giant supermarket. And now more giant green bottles are trying to climb on the wall. Oh! Come back Geoff, there is nothing to forgive. A sane and human/humane world needs you.

Finally, what makes me angry is the Tesco specious spin which they keep trying on. Two points very briefly:

(a) The site is derelict argument: Why has the site been kept derelict?  Only because the owners have chosen to keep it derelict; no doubt until they are allowed to have their evil way. Now, I just wonder who does own the site!!?  

(b) The ‘It will create 400 jobs’ argument. There is no mention of how many jobs, long and short standing, will be destroyed at the same time. It may have been noticed that there is not a big enough population within Kirkstall itself to provide trade for one, far less two, huge supermarkets. One of three things can happen; none mentioned in the Tesco spew (sorry, spin): Morrison (not to mention other small, independent traders) will be driven out of business by the competition; with the loss of how many jobs!!?;  or, secondly, both Tesco and Morrisons between them attract so such custom (cars and more cars and more lorries).from outside, far and wide, that Kirkstall is destroyed, a nightmare of 24-hour traffic; or, thirdly, Kirkstall is allowed/made to develop so mightily (wall to wall offices in the Abbey/Abbey field?) that both Tesco and Morrison can thrive; but then don’t talk to me of Kirkstall.”

I have not put forward my own argument on here as I believe my role as editor is to present the arguments that I come across rather than my own  and therefore I look forward to hearing your reactions and opinions below or alternatively send me an email (kirkstallmatters@gmail.com). 

To read the original article check out P18 on the KM pdfs on the right hand menu. 

Many Thanks

Jenny Budd

Editor