Corporate Responsibility

The question, I suppose, is who is ultimately responsible for keeping the streets free of traffic outside the local Tesco.

In the old Olivers days, there was never the constant presence of cars there is today. The shop was very local, and almost everyone who used it walked to it.

Today, the demographic is quite different.

You see commuters in cars and vans stopping for cash and other items. What was once a local store is now a magnet for people passing through St Margarets.

So, who should sort out the mess it has caused? Should we have the Tesco chairman camped outside thanking people for their custom, but asking them to be more considerate to the local community. Or should the polluter not pay?

I think that it is a joint problem. Tesco should encourage people to use the parking that is available, or should rent some space over the road. The council should continue its heavy enforcement presence to remind people that they are affecting an entire community with their thoughtless actions.

I am not anti-Tesco, and can be seen there on a regular basis. But I continue to advocate a policy of St Margarets first. Perhaps it's time to watch "Passport to Pimlico" again to see if I can pick up a few tips...