The family-run corner shop ousted MP Sir Malcolm Rifkind buys his newspaper from has been saved by its tight-knit community.

More than 500 residents living in and around Marsham Street, Westminster, showed their community spirit when they bandied together to try to stop planning permission being granted for a Sainsbury’s Local in a new Barratts development near the 85-year-old Westminster Grocery store.

The little store has been owned by the same family since the 1970s and shoppers were worried it would fold if a big corporate store opened nearby.

They signed a petition and on Tuesday (February 24) breathed a sigh of relief as councillors rejected the application, with the impact on the local community cited as the main reason.

On the same day, Sir Malcolm Rifkind was filmed walking in and out of the shop to get his newspaper as the press asked him if he was going to stand down or not over the ‘cash for access’ scandal. Later that morning he stood down as MP for Kensington and chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind
Sir Malcolm Rifkind

Chris Beddoe lives next door to Westminster Grocery and headed up the campaign. She said: “It was a great, and surprising, win for residents - there were lots of celebrations.

“Westminster Grocery is family-run and they deliver groceries to people who can’t walk, they know everyone in the area. They have everybody from MPs to people living on social housing using the shop and we thought it would be terrible if that was taken away. If Sainsbury’s came in they’d most likely have to close pretty quickly.

“Only recently another Sainsbury’s Local opened a five-minute walk away so there really was no need. We’ll have to wait and see if Sainsbury’s and Barratts appeal the decision, they have a habit of doing that.”