Sainsburys chop down trees for a petrol station

As Waterlooville is being turned into a building site (thanks to the Conservatives dumping any ideas of being environmentally aware) Sainsburys is duplicating Asdas actions by chopping down green things so that they can build a petrol station. This time it is trees that were originally a part of an old and established hedgerow that ran along the original path of Hambledon Road.

As a part of the plan to build a big store, Sainsburys is 'upgrading' the roundabout, thus allowing more cars to interfere with the pedestrian route into Waterlooville. Both the petrol station and roundabout developments have resulted in numerous trees being felled and ground being laid to waste.

Both Asda and Sainsburys seem to have plans for increasing green house gas emissions in the area, supported by the Brown party, namely The Conservatives.

Asda put fuel sales before plant life

In the race to supply fossil fuels to the public and with the prospect of Sainsburys building a petrol station to compliment their new store, Asda has built a petrol station in the car park near the Asda store.
The car park has had thick vegetation and trees planted around the perimeter to visually hide it from public view and this has worked for many, many years. The West of Waterlooville has been quite green with vegetation for a long time now, but it seems that marketing, bad planning and profiteering is overriding common sense.

The 'hedgerow' that once surrounded the car park has now been thinned out, but not thinned all around the car park, just the bit that was hiding the Petrol station from public view. From the photo you can see the vegetation at the back is thicker than in the forground. To the right you can see the roof of the petrol station, the vegetation has been cleared so that cars approaching Waterlooville along the dual carriageway can see the Petrol station.

It's sad, but this imitates the larger picture we have today, where the environment is not integrated into economic, community and political thinking. A large American corporation is putting petrol sales and the production of green house gas emissions above wider community interests and the environment.

The silly thing is that it is far more noticeable because they only thinned out a section that was clearly blocking drivers views of the Petrol station!

It's a pity that Asda can find the money to chop down bushes and other vegetation, but can't find the money to pick up the garbage dropped by it's shoppers and is a direct result of their operational policies.

But then their corporate mentality and the people they employ at the top are not interested in integrating nature into their business model.

Big Brother fridges

Most newspaper reporters get their facts wrong, some are obviously better than others, but it appears that the Daily Mail has gone into absolute fantasy mode with their latest story about 'big brother' fridges, the journalists claim the fridges will turn off from time to time, without your permission!

Oh, my god! An electrical appliance with a mind of its own, these fridges must be unique, no other popular appliance does that! Or do they? There must be a massive conspiracy between government, fridge manufacturers and energy companies, they are all scheming to ruin your food and control your fridge.

The headline goes:

"Big brother to switch off your fridge: Power giants to make millions - but you must pay for 'sinister' technology"

 So what exactly is this evil technology and how does it compare to other household technology?

Well, I have known about this tech for about 5 years or so, it is a British invention that is a world leader (yep, the Mail in the rush to blame the EU, is attacking a Brit engineering company and invention).

The Technology

Lets get something straight from the start, the technology DOES NOT send information about you or your energy use to the government or power companies and they CAN NOT control your fridge remotely.

So how the journalists come to the conclusion that it is 'Big Brother' technology is a mystery. The only reason for doing that is to spread propaganda against renewable energy and climate change measures.

The technology has been developed by a company called RLtec (now called Open Energi) and they teamed up with Indesit and and Npower in 2009 to trial the system in fridges and freezers. It ties in with the idea of a future smart grid technology that will enable energy to be used intelligently. Sainsburys already use the technology in their stores, so logically Sainsburys are a part of this big brother conspiracy that The Daily Mail has invented.

The technology is an automated version of what national grid managers do every day. Like the technicians managing supply and demand of electricity, the fridge technology will monitor the frequency of the mains supply, which is 50hz (actually old digital clocks monitored it to keep time - badly!), any deviation from this frequency means that either there is to much demand for electricity or there is to little demand (to many generators producing energy).

In the case when there is to much demand (to many kettles on at the same time), the circuit will switch off the fridge or freezer for a few seconds (or less). If you have tens of thousands of fridges all switching off for a few seconds, it will have no impact on the fridge perfomance but will reduce the load on the generators. Thus the frequency will return to 50hz again when balance is achieved!

The idea of course is to help integrate renewable energy into our grid system. It's actually a brilliant and non-intrusive idea (completely the opposite to the impression the Mail gives).

Other 'big brother' technology you use everyday:

1. Car - most vehicles today take control away from you at many levels. For example you don't control how much fuel goes into the engine, the car decides that based on what you desire it to do.
2. Lighting - many organisations install lighting that automatically turn off when someone isn't in the room, and of course lighting can turn on when someone is present.
3. TVs - some new TVs turn off when no one is watching them!
4. Thermostat - heaters, fridges, kettles all have thermostats that switch on and off electricity without your permission! I mean what right does a fridge have to turn it self off automatically? Must be the government trying to control our lives.

The reality is many appliances turn off internally or reduce the active circuitry without you knowing it, so the question is, why the fuss about a fridge?
The answer is of course extreme politics and the 'no evidence needed' political ideology of modern times. Rumour, black propaganda, misrepresentation and lies, count for more than actual reality.

Big Brother

In the book 1984, Winston Smith had a job in a government organisation where he was required to lie about reality and in particular about the past. The government 'snooped' on individiuals and lied about it's enemies.
Of course no one could accuse Daily Mail journalists of lying or snooping on individuals could they?

Updates

It appears that the Telegraph are running the same story with the same people interviewed. My suspicion is that a lobby group (that is against renewable energy) has made a press release in an attempt to undermine renewable energy policy.

29/04/13: found a Daily Mail article about the same technology published in 2009. The tone is completely different and the article received no comments. I think the article is still technically incorrect in that it refers to a signal from the energy company, which probably refers to the detection in frequency change, it also incorrectly implies that lose control of your electricity.

Update: 17/06/14
It appears Open Energi are now focusing on commercial refridgeration and that does include monitoring of the companies energy use, the participating company obviously being a willing participant. From the latest info available it appears the technology is not available in domestic fridges, although the initial trial did use domestic fridges. If the technology were installed in domestic fridges, then the monitoring part of the technology probably wouldn't be included because of the enormous cost of monitoring individual appliances. Open Energi's web site shows technology that is designed to monitor numerous devices owned by a specific organisation - such as Tescos and Sainsburys - that sort of scale would justify the expense of monitoring.

More obesity and diabetes predicted for Havant Borough

As is obvious from my posts, I am interested in real evidence and science when it comes to policy and life in general. New research shows a direct correlation between the over provision of food shops and obesity and diabetes.

The research has been conducted by Professor Makse at City College, The City University of New York. His research shows that individual factors have less impact than collective behaviour. A major influence is the provision of food retailers, including supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and other facilities. The more food related economic activity, the greater the levels of obesity.

How does this translate to local activity in Waterlooville? Well it isn't exactly a secret that the Havant Borough Council have been actively trying to fill the town with cafes, food shops and supermarkets, largely because they approved other out of town retail developments that laid waste to the town centre. The biggest project is the Caetano manufacturing site, now handed over to Sainsburys supermarket. The obsession with the ideology of competition and market forces, will result in higher health bills.

Basically there is a conflict of interest. The flaws in todays unscientific economic theories, result in serious health and environmental problems. This is what happens:

1. You create plenty of opportunities to sell food.
2. Collectively and statistically people get fatter.
3. That results in higher health costs
4. But the current ideology is to limit or reduce state spending
5. The result is a big hole, caused mainly by flawed and unscientific economics that fails to include 'externals'.

Yet the 'right' would advocate personal responsibility, which would be fine if the science supported that idea. But as is often the case, people are social beings, like many species. Yes there is competition, but there is also peer pressure and that is often far more influential.
The science shows that individuals will not determine health, they are instead 'victims' of environmental factors, in this case created by flawed political theories and economics that over supply cheap food.

Will a small amount of spending by the council on health road shows and getting individuals to change do the job??
Again this is not supported by science or any fact. The national government sticking a few public information films on TV, or the council sticking a health caravan in Waterlooville town centre for a day, will do absolutely nothing. However refusing a supermarket planning permission will reduce obesity levels. Yet just about all councils think it is cheaper to allow planning applications for supermarkets. Is it really cheaper to get sued by a supermarket, or is it cheaper to spend millions on obesity and diabetes?? Which is the morally correct choice?

It is interesting that this research is published just as a new series 'The Men Who Made us Fat' starts on BBC2.

Here is the research:
Lazaros K. Gallos, Pablo Barttfeld, Shlomo Havlin, Mariano Sigman, Hernán A. Makse. Collective behavior in the spatial spreading of obesity. Scientific Reports, 2012; 2 DOI: 10.1038/srep00454

Or if you want it explained in plain'ish' english:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120614131207.htm

Sainburys in action?

I think this is the start of the Sainsburys development in Waterlooville. First thing they do is chop some trees down next to the old Sprint Print building. I assume it is to improve access and the roundabout area. This section was actually the original field boundary between a farm and Hambledon road, when the dual carriage way was built, more trees were added to the existing hedgerow.

 

Another chunk of trees removed. This time for a disability ramp sweetner that Sainsburys chucked in to oil the wheels of planning approval. The ramp will make it easier for electric disability buggies and wheel chairs to access Waterlooville and I guess Sainsburys. Yes it is needed, but maybe if the HBC/HCC planners thought about people instead of just cars, we wouldn't be in this situation today.

 

Tree carnage. The price we pay for bad planning in the past (disabled access is not possible via the underpass, or rather legislation means that a ramp at the underpass would be to steep for wheelchair users) and the climate changing love of cars that enables Sainsburys to exist.

Sainsburys are back

This was always going to happen, but none the less, it isn't particularly welcome. Today Councillors at Havant Borough Council were voting on the latest plans Sainsbury are putting forward for their proposed Waterlooville store.

Sainsburys always intended to come back with a new proposal and had been given indications that they might be successful with revised plans. These included the moving of the petrol station to where the current recycling centre is. As soon as a date was set for the movement of the recycling centre to it's new home, then Sainsburys would go ahead by with a new application.

We have a nation of people with wide ranging skills and suitability to those skills, so in order to satisfy those skills we need many types of jobs. Creating 350 jobs at Sainsburys, will not only remove jobs from other shops (including the possibility of Waitrose), but will totally fail to create jobs for people who are unsuitable to work in that environment because their natural skills and education are better suited elsewhere.

Councillors at Havant have a long track record making bad decisions regarding our high streets, it looks like they are continuing that tradition.

Sainsburys says I'll be back!

Yes Sainsburys is back with a new planning application for the Caetano site. It was predicted of course and the new plan has taken into account most of the issues raised by local residents, especially the location of the petrol station.
Councillors and residents had suggested moving the petrol station from the Sprint Print site to the current recycling centre site, Sainsburys have now done this.

It should be pointed out that the recycling centre must be moved to the new location by Taylor Wimpey by a certain date (can't remember the actual date) or on completion of something like 200 homes. So Sainsburys are constrained by these time scales and the progress Taylor Wimpey make at Dukes Meadow.

It should be noted that Sainsburys have ignored the environmental concerns raised. Cyclists and pedestrians trying to get into Waterlooville will have to deal with more traffic, whilst the store will obviously encourage car use and increase carbon footprints of shoppers attracted to the store. Small shops in Waterlooville will be under pressure, the green grocer and butchers will have to compete with a new business.

Also, although nothing to do with Sainsburys, the small Shoe Zone shop in Waterlooville has closed, presumably as a result of competition from Brantano.

Sainburys withdraw planning application

Looking through the weekly planning applications for 11th to 17th March (link to PDF file), reveals that Sainsburys have currently withdrawn their application to build a supermarket at the Caetano site in Waterlooville.

However this is likely to be a short term easing of the situation. Sainsburys are unlikely to throw in the towel that easily and are probably revising their plans after a number of questions were raised about traffic and the location of the proposed petrol station on the old Sprint Print site.

Later this year they will probably be submitting new plans.

Sainsburys pre-application forum update

It is unfortunate that the level of opposition to a new Sainsburys in Waterlooville is almost non-existent. It is also disappointing that the leaders of the Waterlooville Business Association decided to support the new development with a tone of desperation and pleading. Sad really.
Most concern is with road traffic, but one wonders how insistent HBC will be in making sure the concerns are met.

Thank goodness government legislation at least now makes sure some level of consideration is given to long term issues such as the environment, even if there is a level of greenwash in there somewhere. It is also nice to know that walking and cycling now have a much higher status on the transport planning agenda (partly as a result of encouraging healthy living, as well as climate change issues) and even some HBC councillors support cyclists and pedestrians in the area.

However because the focus is often still on car use and traffic, pedestrians and cyclists still need to be vocal as possible, making sure their opinions are voiced in the planning process. Otherwise all the car driving councillors will be focused on car traffic, basically because that's all they really know or understand.

On the positive side of things, it is good to know that new cycle paths are planned along the Milton road and between Denmead and Waterlooville. Sustrans are involved with this scheme and are looking at raising matched funding. Even if the Sainsburys juggernaut can not be stopped, it would be good if the transport developments near Sainsburys can link in with the planned Denmead/Waterlooville cycle route.

One issue that will affect the schedule of work will be the recycling centre, there is apparently a specific schedule for that to be moved and it is unlikely Sainsburys will be able to open any proposed store before the recycling centre is moved to a new location. The deadline date for the recycling centre move is July 2011, however if Taylor Wimpey manage to build 200 homes before then, the centre will be moved when the 200 home figure is reached.

Sainsburys and traffic

There seems to be growing concern about the impact that the proposed Waterlooville Sainsburys will have on traffic on the old Hambledon road. The recycling centre (dump) opposite the proposed site is busy nearly every day with a queue of traffic waiting to get in.
The new Sainsburys is proposed to have a ground level car park for over 400 cars, with the store built on top of it. Ramps and lifts would allow access to the store, this would create more traffic, creating additional stress for pedestrians and cyclists.

As well as a Sainsburys store, the company is proposing a petrol station on the vacated Sprint Print site. This will create more traffic and given that we are on the 'road' to a move away from petrol and on to electric vehicles, this proposal seems outdated and archaic. It really negates the environmental features (greenwash) Sainsburys are proposing for the store and highlights the fact that Sainsburys is 'anti-local' by promoting car use.

There is a possibility that the closed off Hambledon road between Milton road and Aston road could be re-opened so that traffic can flow past the houses. I'm sure residents along that road will be pleased (not). Currently the road provides a quiet and peaceful pedestrian and cycling route for many residents that live along Milton road and towards Denmead.

It is unlikely that visitors to the store will be bothered about visiting Waterlooville town centre, despite any claims Sainsburys might make, such a store would move the focus away from the traditional centre of the town, which continues to have difficulty to fill the existing small retail units.

Waterlooville Sainsburys - public forum

Havant Borough Council are staging a 'Development Consultation Forum' about the proposed Waterlooville Sainsburys at the Council Chamber, Havant Civic Offices on 5th November 2009.
The public will only be allowed to listen to the discussion, which starts at 6pm. A display of the proposal will be revealed at 5.30pm in the Council Chamber. Only councillors, officers and chairs of the local community boards will be able to speak.
Hence if you want to air your views, you need to attend one of the local Community Board or residents association meetings, so that they are passed on.

Waterlooville North Community Board
Waterlooville South Community Board

Sainsbury plans for Waterlooville

Recently Sainsburys has revealed plans for a new supermarket store in Waterlooville, on the site of the now closed Salvador Caetano coach builders factory. The site had previously been occupied by Wadham Stringers.

There are a number of alarming issues about this proposal...

1. A lack of legislation and poor planning of the built environment has resulted in our bus network across the UK failing to get people out of their cars. As a result, companies like Caetano have not had enough business to keep the Waterlooville factory open. The Sainsburys proposal in fact just highlights this issue, the Sainsburys proposal for a big store and a car park for over 400 cars, effectively reverses the use of the site from an environmentally positive one to a negative one.

2. Waterlooville already has an Iceland, Asda, Waitrose, an Asda Hypermarket, a Co-op shop in Milton road and a Lidl in Cowplain. On top of this we have 3 butchers in the area, a greengrocer and numerous other shops. All are within cycling and driving distance. Most are actually within reasonable walking distance for anyone living near Waterlooville, with the exception of the Asda hypermarket which probably requires a bus or car to get to. There is basically plenty of choice and competition, the area doesn't need another supermarket. Any council approval for more supermarkets would be to help Sainsburys as a business (read into that what you will) rather than doing what is right for the community and environment.

3. The retail park near the proposed site already causes headaches for pedestrians and cyclists, adding more supermarket capacity will attract more traffic, creating more problems.

4. Supermarkets are dependent on car use. In an alternative history scenario where cars were never invented and people were dependent on their two 'pegs', the likes of Sainsbury, Tesco and even Waitrose would have had to limit themselves to small shops in rural and suburban areas. They could only really survive without cars in densely populated urban areas like Portsmouth. This basically means that their business models run contrary to modern accepted environmentally sustainable ideas, they encourage car use and car emissions.

That's just a few for starters.
We need to stop this endless expansion of the supermarket sector. Calling a halt to this expansion is one step towards returning Waterlooville to the local community and not allowing big corporations continue to take over the area.

Tescopoly