BUDGET supermarket giant Lidl is looking to move to Caterham, the Mirror has learned.
The German store chain has already held initial talks on setting up shop in the town – with the notorious eyesore site of the former Rose and Young showroom its favoured option.
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German giant Lidl is keen to transform the boarded up site into a new store RSMdb120110C
That site in Croydon Road has lain disused and boarded up for more than 20 years.
Tandridge District Council announced earlier this year it would use a compulsory purchase order to force the owner to sell the site if an interested and credible developer stepped forward.
William Barker, Lidl's property portfolio manager, said on Tuesday: "We have met planning officers and expressed an interest in this site.
"Caterham is the sort of area we would like to be in.
"It's a fairly affluent town which attracts many shoppers who would welcome a discount food retailer.
"But it's very early days, and far too premature to say we have acquired the site or anything like that."
Only last week Lidl revealed it plans to open a store in Limpsfield Road, Hamsey Green, on the site of the former Good Companions pub.
News that it might open up in Caterham have been largely welcomed.
Mother-of-two Sarah Connor, 31, of Croydon Road, Caterham, said: "I imagine a Lidl would get a very mixed reaction locally.
"Many people would welcome it as a good place for bargains, especially in these tough times.
"But I'm sure some people in Caterham would not dare step inside Lidl."
Peter Longhurst, 65, a retired Communication Workers' Union officer of nearby Beechwood Road, said: "I would be overjoyed if Lidl came here.
"It's a disgrace that the Rose and Young site has been allowed to fall into decline for so long.
"I would rather see a shop open there than have more flats, and the town desperately needs more parking space."
A former Caterham Valley district councillor, Mr Longhurst said he had pressed the council for years to try and resolve the problem of the Rose and Young eyesore on the town centre's doorstep.
Caterham Valley parish councillor Jenny Gaffney, who also lives in Beechwood Road, added: "We already have a Waitrose and a Morrisons nearby, as well as a small Co-op.
"I'm not sure if the town could cope with a fourth supermarket, but you always want to see retail sites occupied to ensure a thriving town."
The site's South Africa-based owner has been invited by the Mirror to map out his plans for the site but declined to do so.
Source: www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk
Morrisons ups farmgate milk price - for now - FarmersWeekly
Supermarket chain Morrisons has unveiled a 5p per litre increase in its farmgate milk price - saying it will review the position after three months.
The supermarket made the announcement on Saturday (21 July) following another night of milk price protests by dairy farmers.
In a statement it said: "Morrisons will pay an additional 2p-a-litre premium for every litre of milk that it buys.
"There will also be an additional support payment equivalent to 3p-a-litre because of the extreme weather that is currently affecting farmers.
"These payments will last from August through to the end of October when they will be reviewed."
Morrisons commercial director Richard Hodgson said: "We recognise the exceptional pressure on farmers currently and continue to aim to support all farmers not just those that have dedicated contracts.
"The recent announcements by our processors will reduce the payment to farmers for the milk we sell and therefore we are announcing payments that negate their impact."
The announcement followed a second night of protests by farmers which saw two dairies blockaded in the Midlands.
Co-ordinated by Farmers For Action, hundreds of farmers blockaded the entrances to the Robert Wiseman plant at Droitwich, Worcestershire, and a plant at Foston, Derbyshire.
Farm leaders welcomed the Morrisons announcement.
NFU president Peter Kendall said: "We’re really pleased to see Morrisons response to the calls from a coalition of farming groups to reverse the announced price reductions and address the exceptional costs dairy farmers are now facing.
"We need a long-term solution that addresses the need for a sustainable raw milk supply into the future.
"It’s now critical that other retailers and major buyers of milk respond to the responsible steps Morrisons is taking.”
Morrisons said the latest increase would take the premium it paid to farmers to 6p per litre because it already paid a 1p premium for milk.
The latest increase would be spread across all non-aligned farmers in its processors’ pools from 1 August.
The retailer said it was also looking at a "longer term solution" to volatile milk prices and would now "accelerate this programme".
Earlier, the Co-operative Group said it was increasing its farmgate milk price, bringing the total price to 29p per litre for farmers within the Co-operative Dairy Group (CDG).
Co-operative Food chief executive Steve Murrells said: "We have a track record of supporting British farmers, and we recognise the importance of ensuring a long-term, sustainable future for British dairy farmers.
"We have been in continual discussions on this issue with the National Farmers Union and we have listened to their concerns.
"We are taking this action to help alleviate the immediate pressures that farmers within the CDG are facing. Going forward, we are committed to finding a supply model that is sustainable for the long-term future of our dairy farmers."
Source: www.fwi.co.uk
Sussex school children's lesson in democracy - The Argus.co.uk
Sussex school children's lesson in democracy
7:00am Saturday 21st July 2012 in News
More than 20 schools and youth groups in West Sussex have been recognised for encouraging youngsters to vote in youth elections.
The Democracy Awards were presented to the schools by minister for children and families, Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, at an awards ceremony in the Houses of Parliament.
A total of 23 schools, colleges, middle schools and youth groups were handed awards - a record for West Sussex.
In March this year, 20,088 young people voted in countywide elections for the current 48 members of the West Sussex Youth Cabinet and four Youth MPs.
There are three levels of democracy award; bronze (for at least 50% voter turnout), silver (70%), and gold (90%).
West Sussex County Council's cabinet member for chil¬dren and families, Peter Evans, said: “Ten gold awards were achieved this year, showing that commitment to young people's involvement in the democratic process is higher than ever in West Sussex.”
Mr Loughton said: “It was a pleasure as always to welcome the democracy award winners and organisers to parliament for the fourth year running, and a record number this year.
“Where local elections struggle to get a third of the adult electorate to turn out this cam¬paign has succeeded in encour¬aging more than 90% of students in some schools to step forward, register their vote and have their say.
“It is further proof that young people need to be listened to and be involved in shaping their communities more than ever.”
For more information about schools in your area go to theargus.co.uklocalinfo
The award winners were:
Gold:
Fordwater School, Chichester
Horsham District Council
Oriel Youth Wing, Crawley
Midhurst Rother College
Millais School, Horsham
Sir Robert Woodard Academy, Lancing
The Academy, Selsey
Bourne Community College, Emsworth
Ingfield Manor School, Billingshurst
Westergate Community School
Silver:
Thomas A Becket Middle School, Worthing
St Andrew's C of E High School for Boys, Worthing
Chichester High School for Boys
Newick House School, Burgess Hill
Hazelwick School, Crawley
Holy Trinity C of E Secondary School, Crawley
Bronze:
Littlehampton Academy
Oriel High School, Crawley
St Wilfrid's Catholic Comprehensive School, Crawley
Thomas Bennett Community College, Crawley
Sackville School, East Grinstead
St Philip Howard Catholic High School, Barnham
Worthing College
Comments(2)
john5001 says...
8:17am Sat 21 Jul 12
mimseycal says...
11:17am Sat 21 Jul 12
Source: www.theargus.co.uk
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