Where do people fit into nightmarish plans?

5:52pm Thursday 3rd July 2008

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New Barnet residents have recently seen plans for the dramatic redevelopment of their area by both Tesco and Asda. The idea of supermarket chains becoming our town planners, and the council's apparent willingness to see this happen, fills me with alarm.

New Barnet already hosts a large and recently revamped Sainsbury's, so two more large supermarkets would turn us into some kind of nightmarish supermarket city.

Three large supermarkets right beside each other could only survive if they drew in lots of shoppers from other areas, which would make traffic and environmental problems much worse.

A bland chain store shopping centre would also destroy our sense of traditional local community.

As a disabled pedestrian, with MS, dealing with faster traffic negotiating parked cars, I am finding it harder and harder to cope.

I have noticed an increase in traffic, but most worryingly, an increase in speed.

Where do people fit into this formula?

Jan Poloczek, The Abbey Art Centre, Park Road, New Barnet