Businesswoman shops around for antidote to Tesco towns

TV production worker turned businesswoman Joanna Moyser is urging shoppers to support local traders in the face of a growing stranglehold on communities by supermarket giants. Joanna, 29, of Sheffield, is the brains behind a new Shopper’s Guide To…(www.shoppersguideto.co.uk) franchise which encourages traders to be featured on handy maps promoting a “united front” against the growth of so-called “Tesco towns.”She said: “The supermarket giants are decimating communities. The best message to get out there is shop smart - shop local. My Shopper’s Guide To…maps can help small shops encourage potential customers to do just that.“There’s a common misconception that shopping locally is more expensive or offers less choice.“This isn’t true. In fact, shopping in the high streets or arcades closer to home brings key social, economic and environmental benefits and helps keep communities alive.“There is a fantastic range of produce and goods available from small shops in cities, towns and villages across the UK. But they are finding it more and more of a challenge to compete with supermarkets and out of town retail parks.“I hope that by making the most of my Shopper’s Guides To…, traders and customers can get to know each other better and help bring a fresh impetus to shopping locally."More than half a million people are employed in retail in the country’s rural towns and villages, and they in turn contribute to the local economy."Research shows that, for every £10 spent in an independent shop, £25 is generated for the local economy, compared to £14 if the same amount is spent in a multi-national chain."Joanna previously worked with Diarmuid Gavin at the BBC before joining Frontline Television where she worked her way up to production and distribution manager. Then she and fiance Rob Moyser made the bold move to leave their careers in London to get married and start a family back home up north, in Sheffield, where they could afford to buy a house. She said: “The way the Shopper’s Guide To…franchise works is that I supply start-up packs, providing people who want to boost their income with everything necessary to produce the guide.“The idea came to me while I was out shopping in my local area, in between looking for production work. A local shop keeper was upset that people would come in saying they didn’t know he was there when he’d been there for years. My idea stemmed from that.”“I needed to get a key cut but didn’t have a clue where to look. I thought a map would be of great benefit to the area, so I got involved with the local trade association and created one. The Shopper’s Guide To provides a fantastic resource for shoppers and shopkeepers alike so advertisers are sponsoring a genuinely useful publication – and they’re guaranteed fantastic exposure.”The Shopper's Guide to... is ideal for someone who is ready to try something new, develop new skills and feel a real sense of achievement. It is also a great way to get involved with the community and help the local economy and the environment by encouraging people to shop local.
Seven reasons to Shop Local by www.shoppersguideto.co.uk
Your local shops:
· Have a brilliant range of products that won’t cost you the earth.
· The shops are on your doorstep – why not walk! Save time, money and petrol.
· Promote a sense of community
· Give a special shopping experience thanks to independent, often quirky or “different” traders who listen to their customers.
· Are more environmentally friendly - supporting locally sourced produce and cutting down on travel.
· Boost local employment
· Support worthy causes through trade associations, rotary clubs or other networks.
For more information, please see: www.shoppersguide.co.uk

Local Development Framework - Core Strategy Public Consultation

Following on from the Preferred Options consultation last autumn, NNDC has now prepared the Core Strategy Development Plan Document for submission to Government. An independent Inspector is being appointed to assess if this document is fit for purpose and you will shortly have the opportunity to make comments to the Inspector. A 6-week period of public consultation will commence on June 18 and close on 30 July. From Tuesday 15 June you can view or download the consultation documents, download the comments forms, or find out how to make comments online. Please visit the LDF website for further information.

Your chance to comment on the NNDC LDF Core Strategy

Following on from the Preferred Options consultation last autumn, North Norfolk District Council has now prepared the Core Strategy Development Plan Document for submission to Government. An independent Inspector is being appointed to assess if this document is fit for purpose and you will shortly have the opportunity to make comments to the Inspector. A 6-week period of public consultation will commence on June 18 and close on 30 July. From Tuesday 15 June you can view or download the consultation documents, download the comments forms, or find out how to make comments online. Please visit the LDF website for further information.

New Committee members for Planning Applications

Following the elections in May the councillors who will make up the Development Control Committee (West) are now decided. These people will decide whether the current Tesco proposal is acceptable or not.
You can get their contact details by clicking on the links to the Council webiste below.

Bevan Jones, P
Cabbell Manners, B.
Cordeaux, H.C.
Green, A.R.
High, P W
Moore, T.H.
Perry-Warnes, J.H.
Savory, J.D.
Sweeney, A C
Trett, J.
Wyatt, J.A.

Budgens are here to stay.

Staff and customers at Budgens of Sheringham will be celebrating National Independent's Week in style as the nationwide campaign aimed at encouraging consumers to back local retailers coincides with the store's relaunch following £100,000 worth of improvements. The store was taken over a year ago by business partners Paul Burnell and Jinx Hundal and, in spite of the threat of a Tesco supermarket looming over the town, the pair were determined to turn it into a thriving business.“A lot of people have seen what Tesco has done to other towns in terms of small businesses closing down, but we were confident that wouldn't affect us,” Mr Hundal said.“I think there will always be a need for small, town centre stores as what we offer is that local touch, which is something you don't get at big supermarkets. By getting the basics right, such as focussing on friendly, personal service and locally-sourced products, I think we can keep, and build on, the loyal customer base we already have.” Budgens of Sheringham now stocks newspapers and magazines, has a hot food counter serving freshly-made sandwiches, pies and pasties, and sells locally-sourced produce ranging from Norfolk Tawny and Binham Blue cheeses, to bread baked by Linzers of Norwich.“One of our success stories has been Broadland Hams, who now supply sausages, bacon and all our cooked meats,” Mr Burnell said.“It is great to be able to support local suppliers, especially when you take into account the concern about of food miles. The environment is a huge issue and, as part of the community, we want to be socially responsible.” The business partners last month took over a second Budgens store at Cromer, and insist that, whether or not Tesco comes to Sheringham, they are here to stay. National Independents' Week runs from June 4-10. Budgens of Sheringham will be celebrating by running in-store events including a colouring competition for local children. The store will be officially reopened on Monday, June 4 by a local celebrity, with attractions including a magician, food and wine tasting, and children's activities. For more information, phone 01263 822126.

Listen to the people.

The EDP reports that - East Anglian campaigners last night urged the government to “listen” to the people as a survey gave overwhelming backing to the dwindling network of independent shops and pubs. They also called for money to be put directly into the hands of people living in towns and villages to kickstart projects and facilities to revive community spirit. In a ringing endorsement of the EDP's Shop Here campaign, the survey found almost nine-out-of-10 people believed a good range of independent shops was crucial in keeping communities together. The study, to mark today's launch of National Independents' Week, found that most people placed great value on community spirit - flying in the face of the view that old-fashioned values are disappearing. But My Shop is Your Shop, the organisation behind the survey, warned that there was a “great sense of anxiety” about the growing threat to neighbourhoods and communities. Nigel Dowdney, who owns independent shops at Stalham and West Earlham, Norwich, said: “I'm heartened by this. The survey is backing up something we've been saying for a long time. It's extremely important to have a vibrant local community and local shops are a crucial part of that.” Mr Dowdney, a member of the Association of Convenience Stores, added: “Independent shops are a meeting place for people. They are a focus for the community.” He said the government needed to “listen” to what was being said, and felt the survey showed “increasing concern” at the growing power of the supermarket “big boys”. Peter Medhurst, chairman of Norfolk Rural Community Council (NRCC), said: “I think independent shops and pubs are really the key to reviving local communities. I don't think you can have a community without some sort of centre. Sense of community is even more important than it has ever been. We've got to try to think of ways to bring people together. In this region, the East of England Development Agency (Eeda) ought to be putting more of its resources into pump-priming community development. There are a lot of small projects that don't need a lot of money, just enough to give them a start. We think small amounts of money should be given to communities to develop their own solutions.” The survey, conducted by YouGov, found that 65pc of those questioned would like to take a more active role in their local community and more than half (57pc) feared that communities were under threat from a lack of activities for the young. People believed the most important factors in achieving a successful community were clean safe streets (51pc), effective policing (48pc) and a strong neighbours' culture where people looked out for one another (39pc). However, more than half (52pc) believed that community stretched no more than two miles from their front door. An overwhelming majority (87pc) believed a good range of local independent shops was important in maintaining a good local community and mentioned the pub and the church as the other places where personal relationships were nurtured. Alan Toft, chairman of the My Shop is Your Shop campaign, said: “Clearly people are feeling a sense of real anxiety about the threats to their neighbourhoods and communities and want to see more done to protect and promote their local shops, services and cultures. What is really encouraging however, is that they want to do something themselves to further the local cause and we know from the perspective of our 55,000 local shopkeepers across the country that they too are increasingly engaging in community activities.” The findings are firmly in line with the ethos behind the EDP's Shop Here campaign, which encourages people to support their local shops and amenities. The campaign was recently given strong backing by Conservative leader David Cameron during a visit to Norfolk in April. The previous month, the Prince of Wales praised Norfolk's food producers as he visited two shops run by a family farming co-operative.