Neighbours say Dame’s Co-op rage is snobbery

AN ACADEMY Award-nominated actress has been accused of “snobbery” over her objection to a new Co-op store in her north London “village”.

Dame Janet Suzman said she feared the supermarket could negatively impact independent smaller businesses in “Belsize Village”, near Belsize Park, after plans were revealed for a new outlet last week.

The 79-year-old, inset, nominated for a Best Actress Oscar in 1972 for her debut film role in Nicholas and Alexandra, has previously campaigned against Tesco and Sainsbury’s opening branches in the area.

Speaking to the Camden New Journal newspaper, she said: “Go away, Co-op, find a nice high street or some other lonely corner where you could serve a purpose, and leave Belsize alone.

“It’s going to be tough on the small established shops already serving the needs of the village and most likely put them out of business. What a rubbish way to find your profits, on the back of the ruination of others.” However, some neighbours suggested Dame Janet’s resistance was borne out of “snobbery”, as she was accused of trying to preserve a “coffee utopia” created by wealthy residents. Dawn Zimbler, 48, said: ‘‘We are not all rolling in it and people who aren’t as wealthy would welcome the Co-op. There are a lot of people who are affluent, but there are also a lot of people in social housing.

‘‘As far as small businesses are concerned, there is a greengrocer that needs to be protected, but most of the businesses are coffee shops. It’s absolute snobbery. They have created a coffee utopia and they don’t want it ruined with the riff-raff.’’ Sebastian Wocker, 53, publisher of Hampstead Village Voice, said: ‘‘People don’t want to see Belsize turn into a generic high street, it can change the dynamic of the place.” Dame Janet told The Daily Telegraph: “I’m flummoxed as to why defending small shops from larger ones is naughty.”