CAMPAIGNERS against plans for a Sainsbury’s in Northwood have hardened their tactics and declared ‘no compromise, total victory’.
They will also be collecting money for a fighting fund to help see off the supermarket giant.
Northwood Residents’ Association (NRA) has passed the running of the campaign to a newly formed group, Save Our Northwood (SON), which consists of local experts, councillors, residents and business owners and is headed by NRA chairman, Tony Ellis.
SON has committed itself to stop the plan to build a store on land occupied by shops and land in Station Approach, as well as rejecting the suggestion of a compromise with the supermarket giant.
Before the packed out meeting of more than 400 people at Northwood Methodist Church on July 1, it was suggested Sainsbury’s could not be stopped now that landowner Transport for London (TfL) had agreed it would sell the land.
Some commentators said it would be better to focus energies on coming up with a compromise plan.
But after angry comments from neighbours and business owners, whose stores will be bulldozed if plans for the 43,000sqft superstore, 167 housing units and three car parks are approved, it was agreed that SON should concentrate its efforts on quashing the project completely.
Only as a last option would it put forward proposals which would focus on mitigating the impact of the development to keep Northwood’s ‘village feel’ and delaying the start of building to allow the 17 independent businesses time to relocate.
A second public meeting will be held in Emmanuel Church, in High Street, Northwood, at 8pm on August 19, to introduce the committee, get peoples’ approval for the objectives and open a fighting fund.
More than 1,000 people have signed an online petition against the plans and the fight has the full backing of the three Conservative ward councillors, Richard Lewis, Carol Melvin and Scott Seaman-Digby. Mr Seaman-Digby is also on the SON committee.
?Updates can be found at saveournorthwood.com.
To get involved in the campaign, or to find out more, contact Mr Ellison 01923 821 237 or at tonysaveournorthwood.com.
