Top report slams supermarket practices

Byrne Says No to Supermarket Suburb

Liam Byrne, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill today stepped up the fight against a Tesco store being built on the Brockhurst playing fields by writing to Birmingham City Council with fresh evidence of the catastrophic effect that supermarkets and their practices can have on local communities.

Mr Byrne has written to Cllr Ken Hardeman, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, with a copy of the ‘Highstreet Britain 2015’ report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Small Shops which highlights the possibility of a Tesco megastore turning Hodge Hill into a supermarket suburb.

Liam writes that

‘This report demonstrates that the loss of green space at the Brockhurst playing fields is part of a much larger pattern of damage to our community over the long term. Past experience tells us that the presence of supermarkets leads to a downward spiral in a local area. The consequences are far reaching - putting local shopkeepers out of business; restricting entrepreneurship and reducing employment. It will damage local chains and drain money away from the local economy to shareholders elsewhere. It will also increase traffic and associated pollution. For these reasons and many more, I implore you to read this report and reject plans to build a Tesco store in Hodge Hill.’

The Parliamentary report also highlights the value of the small retail sector to local economies, commenting: ‘The small retail sector is a key driver of: entrepreneurship, employment, skills, local economies, innovation, and sophisticated business networks, as well as accessibility to vital goods and services, diversity, social inclusion and community activities.’

The report found that many of these qualities are being lost as anti competition practices from supermarkets are forcing many smaller retailers out of business - nearly 30,000 small shops have closed down in the UK over the last decade. Tesco now holds incredibly dominant market shares in Inverness (51%), Milton Keynes (50%), Twickenham (47%), Southall (47%) and Hemel Hempstead (46%).

The report also makes clear the vital role small retailers play in providing flexible working conditions for women, and an vital entry point to the economy for entrepreneurs from ethnic minority backgrounds.

“The retail sector is also an easier route to employment for many people who can be discriminated against in other business sectors. For example, 61% of all retail employees are women, who benefit from flexible working conditions, thus easing the burden of domestic responsibilities. Furthermore, in part due to the traditionally low barriers to entry into retailing, it provides the opportunity for self-employment to other groups such as migrants to the UK. African, Caribbean and Asian people are more likely to start their own business than Caucasian people. People of South-Asian origin contribute more than £5 billion annually to the British economy.”

Liam Byrne said:

‘Local small shops are the beating heart of our community - they are a key entry point for budding BME businessmen to enter the local economy. This Lib Dem / Tory council is too keen to sacrifice David, in favour of Goliath to get their hands on Tesco’s cash.’

‘What’s more this report highlights the fact that when small retailers go out of business, empty premises become havens for vandalism, drug taking and anti-social behaviour. I know that one of the key priorities for local residents is a crack down on such social behaviour in Hodge Hill. If this application goes through we will be in a situation where the Lib Dems have opposed all measures to crack on ASB nationally, whilst they will indirectly turn our local shopping centres into honey pots for hoodlums’.

ENDS