Changing face of village shows Selina is right to fight Tesco

SELINA Scott’s article (Yorkshire Post, December 6) concerning Tesco wishing to build a major store in Malton, sadly reflects many towns and villages throughout our region.

I live in the village of Clowne, North East Derbyshire. I have lived here all my life of 65-plus years. I have seen a lot of change over this time, but none more so than over the past 10 years.

In my younger days, Clowne was a thriving village with shops a plenty, where you could buy most things needed for everyday life such as food, hardware, clothes, toys and bicycles.

There was a cobbler, car sales, petrol sales/repairs, motorcycle sales/repair a large Co-operative store, pawnbrokers, jewellers, two railway stations, a bacon factory, numerous dairy farms, infant junior and secondary schools.

The main employer then was the National Coal Board, with around 20 mines within a 10-mile radius. A technical college which served apprenticeships funded by the NCB provided jobs for the community.

We had a number of butchers and bakers. We also had a village green.

In the present day we have an infant school, junior school a high school, car sales/repair, cycle shop.

Gone are the mines, dairy farms, butchers, bakers etc.

Around 10 years ago, Tesco developed and opened a large store in the centre of the village; this then gave rise to other stores, such as Wilkinsons, then an Aldi.

The Aldi store and Tesco filling station being built on the village green, thanks to Bolsover District Council and local councillors not being able to see any further than their nose, means that we have lost a varied bustling high street and village community.

A new road was put in to service the Tesco, Wilkinsons and Aldi Stores but, all that does is bring more traffic into the centre of the village causing congestion. We have what I would say is the best takeaway centre in Clowne this side of Watford Gap.

The point I would like to make is, if Malton and Malton people want to preserve the town, they must all stand together, show a vote of no confidence in the council and councillors and vote for a council who will represent the people and what the people want.

It sounds to me the council is not listening to its constituents.