Llangollen, Prestatyn, Rhuthun/Ruthin. Three towns in Sir Ddinbych/Denbighshire with three very different characteristics, sizes and demographies. Yet, all three are relatively well off and all three rely heavily on the visitor economy. One of the three has a Tesco, another will have and a third may.
Llangollen's hit the news this and last month with a planning application for a slightly out of town supermarket, Mile End Mill. It's about as far out as the Eisteddfod site, but on the opposite bank of the Dyfrdwy/Dee, westbound on the A5. Llangollen's bracing itself that it might be a Tesco though, officially, none's been named. There's much opposition within the town, with the start of a "say no" campaign. There are those who feel that it would destroy Llangollen's way of life, its small, independent shops and its sense of community cohesion.
In fact, Llangollen currently has no out of town retailing and, other than a Spar and modest Somerfield, no chain stores. Llangollen's anything but a carbon copy of what has become the British retail way of life. Sound familiar to residents of Rhuthun/Ruthin?
The say-no-to-supermarket campaign is so vociferous that Llangollen's most famous businessperson has (arrogantly?) issued an ultimatum. Chair of the chamber of commerce Stephanie Booth has declared that should the county council grant planning permission, she will seek to move Llangollen lock, stock and barrel to Wrexham county borough. The last time that was mooted (at the turn of the century), residents to a man & woman categorically chose to stay within rural Denbighshire.
North now to Prestatyn, where the Tesco saga's been on going for 14 years or so. Since Tesco has land, we can presume that the on-off tail will eventually come to fruition for the supermarket giant. Recently, a town councillor has sated that Tesco's delays are killing Prestatyn. If you talk to many people in Prestatyn, they are keen to see a Tesco built. They currently have no "proper" supermarket, other than a Spar, an Aldi and Iceland. The former Kwik Save that became Somerfield was recently demolished by Tesco as part of the land wrangle.
And finally, back to Rhuthun. If people in Llangollen and Prestatyn are getting hot under the collar about supermarkets in general and Tesco in particular, what happened in Rhuthun at the dawn of the new era in 2005, when Tesco applied for permission? Nothing. Some murmurs but no campaign, no pressure group, no hired consultants, no ultimatum, no battles, no posters one way of the other. Near total ambivalence & silence, in actual fact—though this reversed itself at the time Tesco applied for an extension, once the town say what was happening.
May be Rhuthun really *is* different to its neighbours to the north and south.
Llangollen's hit the news this and last month with a planning application for a slightly out of town supermarket, Mile End Mill. It's about as far out as the Eisteddfod site, but on the opposite bank of the Dyfrdwy/Dee, westbound on the A5. Llangollen's bracing itself that it might be a Tesco though, officially, none's been named. There's much opposition within the town, with the start of a "say no" campaign. There are those who feel that it would destroy Llangollen's way of life, its small, independent shops and its sense of community cohesion.In fact, Llangollen currently has no out of town retailing and, other than a Spar and modest Somerfield, no chain stores. Llangollen's anything but a carbon copy of what has become the British retail way of life. Sound familiar to residents of Rhuthun/Ruthin?
The say-no-to-supermarket campaign is so vociferous that Llangollen's most famous businessperson has (arrogantly?) issued an ultimatum. Chair of the chamber of commerce Stephanie Booth has declared that should the county council grant planning permission, she will seek to move Llangollen lock, stock and barrel to Wrexham county borough. The last time that was mooted (at the turn of the century), residents to a man & woman categorically chose to stay within rural Denbighshire.North now to Prestatyn, where the Tesco saga's been on going for 14 years or so. Since Tesco has land, we can presume that the on-off tail will eventually come to fruition for the supermarket giant. Recently, a town councillor has sated that Tesco's delays are killing Prestatyn. If you talk to many people in Prestatyn, they are keen to see a Tesco built. They currently have no "proper" supermarket, other than a Spar, an Aldi and Iceland. The former Kwik Save that became Somerfield was recently demolished by Tesco as part of the land wrangle.
And finally, back to Rhuthun. If people in Llangollen and Prestatyn are getting hot under the collar about supermarkets in general and Tesco in particular, what happened in Rhuthun at the dawn of the new era in 2005, when Tesco applied for permission? Nothing. Some murmurs but no campaign, no pressure group, no hired consultants, no ultimatum, no battles, no posters one way of the other. Near total ambivalence & silence, in actual fact—though this reversed itself at the time Tesco applied for an extension, once the town say what was happening.
May be Rhuthun really *is* different to its neighbours to the north and south.