Green Party leader Natalie Bennett visited Brixton today to give her backing to the Save George IV pub campaign.
She spoke to shopkeepers threatened by plans to turn the historic pub and music venue on Brixton Hill into another Tesco. Natalie also heard from shop customers as well as locals concerned about the loss of pubs in the area.
“There are already more than 12 supermarkets within an mile radius – and that’s just accounting for Tesco and Sainsbury’s. That’s too many,” said Natalie. “Local people never asked for a Tesco Town but that’s what they’re getting.”
“Customers cannot get the same level of personal service in a supermarket and that’s why they greatly value their local, family-run shops.
“A petition has already gathered more than 3,000 signatures so the big supermarkets need to start listening. In the long run ignoring the voice of local people will only damage their brands and their businesses. So it’s not even in their interests.”
Green Party by-election candidate Andrew Child (right, with purple tie) out campaigning
with local residents and shopkeepers (Image: Brixton Blog)
Andrew Child, Green Party candidate in the forthcoming local council by-election in Brixton Hill was one of the founding members of the Save George IV campaign. Speaking on the Brixton Blog in October, he said: “There is a real character to this community and increasingly it is being lost. There are 12 supermarkets within a one mile radius, we’re at a saturation point.”
Andrew has repeatedly argued that the George IV pub was more than a place to meet people and drink, but was also an arts venue frequented by local bands and DJs.
In the face of a catastrophic decline of pubs in the local area, the Green Party Leader has called for action to require supermarkets to apply for planning permission for a change of use.
“The law needs to be changed to make it much harder for supermarkets like Tesco to target much-loved pubs for new stores. Councils also need to do more by drawing up action plans to save these important community spaces.”
To help Andrew in his electoral campaign in the run up to polling day on January 17th please see our January events page. To find out more about why Andrew is running, see here. If you can’t make it out to help with leafletting and canvassing, please do follow the election campaign news on Twitter @andrewjchild as well as @brixhillgreens and @lambethgp.