Tesco: Dancing on thin ice?
Chuka Umunna has joined with local campaigners to turn up the pressure on Tesco.
The retailer has cast doubt on the future of Streatham Ice Rink citing the credit crunch – despite announcing huge national profits and extensive plans for expansion.
At a public meeting in Streatham, Tesco – the owner of Streatham Ice Rink – refused to maintain its guarantee that the ice rink would remain open without interruption whilst the Hub scheme is developed, under revised proposals of its original agreement two years ago.
Contrary to these claims, Tesco just two days before the public meeting released interim results showing pre tax gross profits of £1.4 billion, up 1.5 per cent on last year’s interim results. The company also announced that it had signed an agreement to open 18 new hypermarkets in China, in addition to an extensive UK expansion including hundreds of new stores.
Local resident Georgia Hinault commented:
“Streatham Ice Rink is important to us, we use it all the time – how dare Tesco put the future of ice skating in South London at the mercy of their so-called ‘economic downturn’, they have not been affected by the recession at all ,in fact they have benefitted. Shame on Tesco!”
Chuka said:
“Tesco’s claims about the credit crunch and its affect on its ability to deliver the Streatham Hub scheme do not stack up – its colossal profits could pay for a new ice rink many times over so there is no excuse for failing to guarantee it will stay open whilst a new one is built.”
So far over 1,600 people have signed Chuka’s petition on and off-line and over 1,300 people have joined his “Keep Streatham Skating!” Facebook Group.
