Martin Crumpton, chair of Keep Llangollen Special (KLS) responds to the recent plea by local county councillor Stuart Davies for opponents to "put their prejudices aside" when it comes to the planned new Sainsbury's store:
Having read your recent article, http://llanblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/councillor-calls-for-agreement-over-new.html, it’s time to set the record straight by taking the opportunity to respond.
Using pejorative words like ‘prejudice’ in this case is, of course, misleading as it implies irrational opposition to something. In five years of research, there has never been a single recorded instance of an edge-of-town large-format supermarket bringing anything but unemployment, and the prospect of 130 jobs is as likely to happen as the commitment to saving 110 jobs at Dobson & Crowther turned out to be.
The councillor seems oblivious to the changing pattern of supermarket shopping, being rejected wholesale by more and more shoppers. The likelihood of so many even part-time, low-wage jobs being created for local people is no more viable than, say, a footbridge across the River Dee, which he and Ken Skates AM once claimed Betsi Cadwaladr was applying for EU funding to build – but they’re not.
We naturally wish Dobson & Crowther, supported by Welsh Government money, well and we will also focus and redouble our efforts to help Llangollen’s many small employers provide decent jobs for local people and help keep the local economy from being swallowed-up by huge corporations.
We can’t expect everyone to have a solid grasp of economics, to be fair, nor current affairs and prevailing business conditions, but KLS will continue to fight for the heart and soul of our beautiful town, and in that spirit we’d like to take the opportunity to offer Cllr Davies our most special Christmas wishes.
Chair ΞKeep Llangollen SpecialΞ
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