ACS to Call for Local Shop Friendly Planning at Party Conferences
16 Aug 2006
The future of local shops will be up for debate at this year’s Political Party Conferences, with a series of fringe meetings organised by the Association of Convenience Stores, together with Friends of the Earth and the Co-operative Group.
‘Your Local Shop: Its Future?’ fringe events will take place at Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat conferences with a host of high-level speakers including senior members of each party.
The events take place against the backdrop of the Barker Review which, in proposing a more liberal planning regime, has outlined a clear threat to the future of small shops. Debate will focus on what the Government can do to promote local shops and retail diversity, and what recommendations should be made following the current investigation into the grocery market by the Competition Commission.
James Lowman, ACS Director of Public Affairs, said: “Last year we took our campaign for a Competition Commission inquiry into the grocery market to the party conferences. Now the key political issue to address is planning and ACS will be tackling head on those who promote a more liberal planning system. We argue that planning policy should support diversity, choice and true competition amongst retailers. We hope that once again our fringe events will be popular with conference delegates and spark debate on issues of key concern to retailers.”
ACS led the campaign for a CC inquiry and its work on the inquiry is focussing on promoting fair competition through means including the planning system.
Sandra Bell, Friends of the Earth’s Supermarkets Campaigner, said: “Supermarket dominance has become a hot political issue – and planning regulations play a major role in determining how we shop. Local shops on our high streets are already under threat from the dominance of the supermarkets. Proposals to free up more out-of-town development could be the last straw. These events provide a valuable opportunity to involve MPs in the debate and flag up the risks that small shops face.”
Earlier this year Friends of the Earth published research showing how supermarkets were benefiting from the planning system. The campaign group is calling for changes to strengthen the planning system, with the removal of the current bias in favour of large format stores.
Political speakers confirmed for the fringe events are:
• Dr Phyllis Starkey MP (Labour, Milton Keynes South West) Chair of the Communities & Local Government Select Committee, will speak at the Labour fringe meeting in Manchester on 27 September.
• Conservative Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government Alistair Burt MP (North East Bedfordshire) will speak at the Conservative fringe in Bournemouth on 4 October.
• Dan Rogerson MP (North Cornwall) spokesperson for Communities and Local Government will be the political speaker at the Liberal Democrat meeting in Brighton on 20 September.
-Ends-
Rachel Lawson
ACS Communications Co-ordinator
01252 515001
Notes to Editors
1) The event is run by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), hosted and chaired by the Co-operative Group, and is in partnership with Friends of the Earth.
2) The fringe events will be held on the following days:
- Liberal Democrat conference – 20 Sept, Library, Hilton, Brighton
- Labour conference – 27 September, Radisson Hotel, Manchester
- Conservatives conference- 4th October, Highcliffe Hotel, Bournemouth
3) This event is open to those who obtain a conference pass. Persons who are interested in attending the conferences should contact the party’s headquarters to obtain information on how to obtain a pass.
4) Questions that will be put to the speakers include
- Is current planning policy enshrining the right principles?
- Are local authorities equipped to handle planning issues in the face of well-resourced superstore companies and other developers?
- How can we strike the balance between promoting regeneration and supporting the future of local shops?
- How does planning policy relate to the Competition Commission inquiry into the grocery market?
- How can planning law be used to promote real competition, diversity and choice?
5) Friends of the Earth’s research ‘Calling the shots: how supermarkets get their way in planning decisions’ can be found at www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/calling_the_shots.pdf.
‘Your Local Shop: Its Future?’ fringe events will take place at Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat conferences with a host of high-level speakers including senior members of each party.
The events take place against the backdrop of the Barker Review which, in proposing a more liberal planning regime, has outlined a clear threat to the future of small shops. Debate will focus on what the Government can do to promote local shops and retail diversity, and what recommendations should be made following the current investigation into the grocery market by the Competition Commission.
James Lowman, ACS Director of Public Affairs, said: “Last year we took our campaign for a Competition Commission inquiry into the grocery market to the party conferences. Now the key political issue to address is planning and ACS will be tackling head on those who promote a more liberal planning system. We argue that planning policy should support diversity, choice and true competition amongst retailers. We hope that once again our fringe events will be popular with conference delegates and spark debate on issues of key concern to retailers.”
ACS led the campaign for a CC inquiry and its work on the inquiry is focussing on promoting fair competition through means including the planning system.
Sandra Bell, Friends of the Earth’s Supermarkets Campaigner, said: “Supermarket dominance has become a hot political issue – and planning regulations play a major role in determining how we shop. Local shops on our high streets are already under threat from the dominance of the supermarkets. Proposals to free up more out-of-town development could be the last straw. These events provide a valuable opportunity to involve MPs in the debate and flag up the risks that small shops face.”
Earlier this year Friends of the Earth published research showing how supermarkets were benefiting from the planning system. The campaign group is calling for changes to strengthen the planning system, with the removal of the current bias in favour of large format stores.
Political speakers confirmed for the fringe events are:
• Dr Phyllis Starkey MP (Labour, Milton Keynes South West) Chair of the Communities & Local Government Select Committee, will speak at the Labour fringe meeting in Manchester on 27 September.
• Conservative Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government Alistair Burt MP (North East Bedfordshire) will speak at the Conservative fringe in Bournemouth on 4 October.
• Dan Rogerson MP (North Cornwall) spokesperson for Communities and Local Government will be the political speaker at the Liberal Democrat meeting in Brighton on 20 September.
-Ends-
Rachel Lawson
ACS Communications Co-ordinator
01252 515001
Notes to Editors
1) The event is run by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), hosted and chaired by the Co-operative Group, and is in partnership with Friends of the Earth.
2) The fringe events will be held on the following days:
- Liberal Democrat conference – 20 Sept, Library, Hilton, Brighton
- Labour conference – 27 September, Radisson Hotel, Manchester
- Conservatives conference- 4th October, Highcliffe Hotel, Bournemouth
3) This event is open to those who obtain a conference pass. Persons who are interested in attending the conferences should contact the party’s headquarters to obtain information on how to obtain a pass.
4) Questions that will be put to the speakers include
- Is current planning policy enshrining the right principles?
- Are local authorities equipped to handle planning issues in the face of well-resourced superstore companies and other developers?
- How can we strike the balance between promoting regeneration and supporting the future of local shops?
- How does planning policy relate to the Competition Commission inquiry into the grocery market?
- How can planning law be used to promote real competition, diversity and choice?
5) Friends of the Earth’s research ‘Calling the shots: how supermarkets get their way in planning decisions’ can be found at www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/calling_the_shots.pdf.