St Albans Tesco protesters can learn from stunning victory in Tolworth, London.

9.00.00am GMT Mon 26th Feb 2007

Stop Tesco

Local Tesco protesters will be very heartened at the news that Tesco has given into public pressure and withdrawn a plan to build a superstore at Tolworth, near Kingston, Surrey.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Sandy Walkington said: 'There are many parallels with St Albans. The Tolworth site is also located on a congested highway, and local residents protested about the impact on nearby residential and shopping streets. This shows that public protest can work and we congratulate the "Tolworth Residents against Over-development" campaign group on their victory.

'We will be learning from their experience by meeting Lib Dem MP Ed Davey in whose constituency the Tolworth development was scheduled to take place and who was a leading opponent of the Tesco scheme there.'

Intriguingly, Tesco has not withdrawn from the Tolworth site. It has issued a statement saying "Rather than push forward with the original application, we have decided to give local people a greater opportunity to participate in the development of this prominent location. Tesco will remain an important part of these plans, but we would like to redesign our plans with the help of local people."

Meanwhile fellow Lib Dem opponent Chris White, who represents St Peters Ward on the County Council, has launched a poster campaign: 'We have produced a simple eye-catching poster saying "Stop Tesco" in red and blue. We have made it absolutely non-party political: copies can be downloaded from our website http://www.stoptesco.com/. I hope as many people as possible will display one in their window.'

"Amen to that", said Sandy Walkington. "What's good for Tolworth would be good for St Albans too. There is no reason why Tesco should not make a commercial success of their site, but by consulting with local residents rather than dropping a nuclear bomb onto the centre of St Albans."

ENDS

For more information, please call Sandy Walkington on 07802 177317