Residents feel betrayed

9:26am Wednesday 27th August 2008

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MINE is just one of many voices raised in disbelief and disgust at the monopoly now held by the refurbished Co-op supermarket in Bewdley, and the creation of a Co-op funeral parlour at the very heart of the town, both showing a crass disregard for the real needs of the community and its traders.

It is clear from discussions around the town that residents feel betrayed, finding the supermarket prices high and the stock an inappropriate mixture of goods.

While we applaud commitment to Fair Trade goods, we feel that local people have been totally overlooked in terms of fair trade.

And surely it was not beyond the wit of the planners to solve the old problem of the ‘queue’, which often stretched to the back of the store, and still does!

Many are now using their free bus passes to shop elsewhere, yet again a loss of custom for other traders in the town, who have been struggling for a long time.

May we have some comments from the Co-op itself?

MARGARET BRADBURY Welch Gate Bewdley