{"id":676,"date":"2012-10-15T11:35:09","date_gmt":"2012-10-15T10:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/?p=676"},"modified":"2013-04-14T17:42:29","modified_gmt":"2013-04-14T16:42:29","slug":"an-inconvenient-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/an-inconvenient-store\/","title":{"rendered":"An Inconvenient Store"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>
A Co-op Driver is parked inconveniently across a junction 13 November 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here is a copy of the unedited letter sent to the East Lothian Courier, a testy but otherwise balanced protest against the increasing inconvenience of so-called convenience stores. Just in case you missed it, here is what was hastily sent. Little wonder that our High Streets have a poor reputation.<\/p>\n

I am a long-standing supporter of the Co-op and the Co-op movement. Business generally has a lot to learn from the original 19th century\u00a0co-op model, which has been a continuous source of innovations to this day.
\n
\nHowever I have no sympathy whatsoever for the Co-op when it prosecutes narrow financial and operational objectives to the detriment of local residents and neighbours. Haddington’s problem reported in last week\u2019s edition is not an isolated one.<\/p>\n

In Dunbar the Co-op’s operation frequently flouts the notion of being a ‘good neighbour’, with delivery drivers parked illegally, blocking the highway, pedestrian crossings, bus stops and private access as
\nwell as mounting pavements, daily. The company runs a quasi industrial operation on an otherwise sleepy High Street, with only passing regard for the people that live there. Delivery drivers leave
\nrefrigeration units running for sometimes an hour or more and deliveries are increasingly at unsociable hours, including weekends and bank holidays when the disturbance is felt acutely. If drivers
\ncannot get near their store, they run the dangerously balanced and noisy cages from up to 20-30 metres away, more often than not unassisted by shop staff. The early opening and late closing means
\ncontinuous motorised traffic every single day except Christmas day alongside the associated problems with manoeuvring and parking. This pattern is repeated in small towns and villages throughout the County.<\/p>\n

The Co-op’s High Street shops masquerade as convenience stores, but seemingly push out a higher volume of fast moving goods per square metre than their larger stores, so much so that they are they are
\nbecoming spectacularly inconvenient, at least for residents and pedestrians. It seems unlikely that they would get planning permission today, given the limited vehicle access and safety issues associated with moving clumsy cages through the customer entrance.<\/p>\n

Yet there are alternatives. The Co-op could lead by example and create a local hub for deliveries and move product to store using smaller and quieter and perhaps greener vehicles (something similar is being
\nlooked at in Perth) and employ quieter cages with rubber wheels (which other operators use). It could also use it’s larger properties more effectively (instead they are often empty or partitioned off) and
\nconsolidate some of their operations (Dunbar has 3 Co-ops within minutes of each other) into the larger stores, for car users who seek this convenience. This would reduce unnecessary High Street journeys. They could even alternate opening hours so that the environmental bads arising from their early opening \/ late closing are diluted.<\/p>\n

If the Co-op wants to maintain its reputation for being community spirited \/ ethical company, it needs to do much more than buy off local organisations with donations and publicity fanfare, and do a lot
\nlot more to reduce the environmental and social impact of their operations on residents.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here is a copy of the unedited letter sent to the East Lothian Courier, a testy but otherwise balanced protest against the increasing inconvenience of so-called convenience stores. Just in case you missed it, here is what was hastily sent. Little wonder that our High Streets have a poor reputation. I am a long-standing supporter … Continue reading An Inconvenient Store<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":295,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/shopping-list\/","url_meta":{"origin":676,"position":0},"title":"A Political Shopping List","author":"templar","date":"April 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In the weeks ahead you may be wondering what to ask local politicians. \u00a0Here's some things that you could ask about, in no particular order:- Will you support the retention and improvements to residents parking at the Abbeylands end Dunbar High Street? What will you do to secure the Abbey\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/topics\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1694,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/the-bus-stops-here-why-i-object-to-a-new-bus-stop\/","url_meta":{"origin":676,"position":1},"title":"The Bus Stops here","author":"templar","date":"March 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Why I object to a new bus stop Without any real notice, exactly one working day to be precise, I received notification from Peter Forsyth, Senior Area Officer (Transport), of a plan to alter the configuration of the post office parking bay, so that it may accommodate a new bus\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/topics\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1192,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/improve-signposting-and-free-up-private-car-parking\/","url_meta":{"origin":676,"position":2},"title":"Improve signposting and free up private car parking","author":"templar","date":"September 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Parking availability in Dunbar isn't as bad as people make out. There are quite a few areas that are under-utilised and there are only a few problem areas. I've heard all the objections about the on street facilities, and frankly most of them don't warrant a great deal of attention.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/topics\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2022\/02\/image.png?fit=1200%2C738&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2022\/02\/image.png?fit=1200%2C738&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2022\/02\/image.png?fit=1200%2C738&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2022\/02\/image.png?fit=1200%2C738&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2022\/02\/image.png?fit=1200%2C738&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1429,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/destination-dunbar-or-dormitory-town\/","url_meta":{"origin":676,"position":3},"title":"Destination Dunbar","author":"templar","date":"September 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"My presentation notes. The fortunes of High streets have always waxed and waned, but the most recent decline of high streets seems inexorable and attempts to reverse it labelled by some as \"mission impossible\". 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