Our green haven is worth keeping

Now happily retired after 27 years in the Armed Services I am fortunate in having many visits from my past friends and their relatives from all over the country.

The first thing that takes their eyes is the beautiful green parkland area situated in the centre of the town. I refer to Earl Shilton’s Wood Street Community Park, senior citizen’s rose gardens, cricket club and bowling green. How many small townships can boast of such an asset?

However, from reports published in The Hinckley Times and elsewhere it seems that Earl Shilton is a prime target in the multi-billion pound UK expansion of Aldi’s grocery chain.

The criteria for their expansion into an area, whether greenfield or not, is a site large enough to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store and 100 parking spaces. Preferably it should be on a prominent main road with good access in a town centre.

Do we need to look any further than our own well positioned town centre green haven which fits their requirements as if they were designed for just that!?

With the existence of one supermarket and numerous smaller outlets retailing similar produce, one wonders why another supermarket is needed. Specialist shops such as butchers, florists and hardware will struggle to survive against the purchasing power of this German based giant.

Hopefully our local councillors will take an active interest in pursuing this unwarranted intrusion into the daily lives of their constituents, for if this project goes ahead it will affect hundreds of elderly residents whose only escape from their loneliness is the comradeship found in our beautiful rose garden surrounded by open green fields.

To stroll along the park, rest in the rose garden, watch a cricket match or bowls tournament is a pleasure we cannot afford to loose. Once gone it can never be retrieved so please do not leave it too late.

Ron Birch, Earl Shilton