Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven MP Chris Ward led a protest over delays and uncertainty surrounding the Morrisons store at the Meridian Centre this morning (Saturday 27 September).
Protesters held up a banner urging the firm to “build it or sell it”.
Last month he started a petition urging the supermarket chain to keep its promise to build a replacement for the old Peacehaven Co-op.
Mr Ward said: “Peacehaven has waited long enough.
“In 2021, Morrisons announced plans to build a new supermarket at the Meridian Centre. But years later, the site remains empty.
“Morrisons has now confirmed that the project is under review with no timeline for delivery.
“We urge Morrisons to honour their commitment to Peacehaven. Our town has huge potential but we remain without a major supermarket – and the promises made must be kept.
“This is about more than retail. It’s about community, investment and fairness. Peacehaven deserves better.
“Sign now to show Morrisons that our community is watching – and won’t be ignored.”
To read the petition or to sign it, click here.
Build more houses in Peacehaven before you build a supermarket there
Guess you ain’t from round here. This is just asking them to build the supermarket where there was one. Before you build houses you need a decent supermarket.
And where will all the people go to buy affordable food without a supermarket? Think.
Wow you clearly don’t live in peacehaven. Or I’m guessing a property developer
Really important issue for the area, without a supermarket nearby, the pressure from a lack of local, affordable groceries makes living so much more expensive, not to mention the significant number of jobs one provides.
I’ve heard that other chains are more than willing to set up shop, pardon the pun. Morrisons should stop landbanking.
I don’t doubt what you say necessarily but I would suspect anyone else aside from the previous owner co-op and Morrisons would struggle with the size of the site, and the catchment area. The German discounters could manage it if there wasn’t anything else on the site, but to my knowledge the proposal, and local want/need, has always been for other units on site, be it the library or other retail. Whether they’d get enough people given there are stores in Newhaven, Lewes and Brighton I’m not sure, Aldi may take a punt given they’re debt free but Lidl have financed their entire UK operation on debt and are feeling the pain of servicing it at this point so they’d need to be absolutely certain it would generate plenty of money, maybe they are but I’m far from sure. Sainsbury’s have Newhaven already, Tesco seems unlikely to me, they could have made the co-op an offer at any time in the past if they’d been interested. If people didn’t have to travel along the coast road it may have been viable but I can’t see people coming from Rottingdean or Seaford just for Tesco. Waitrose seems very unlikely. Are Iceland still operating their Food Warehouse facia? Maybe them? Am I forgetting anyone else?
ALDI would build that in a heartbeat, bebeficial all round
Rumour is that Lidl have been interested.
Why don’t they just get delivered? Waitrose. Js etc all deliver
That is fair, however, that denies people the chance to pop in, there’s cost involved in delivery, there’s a delay from ordering, and people have have STRONG opinions about replacement products!
It’s also not the greenest thing in the world.
Why should people have to stay in to order groceries?! It’s good for people to get out
I shop on line, but not everybody wants to for various reasons. I still went to the old Co-op quite regularly though to get things I’d forgotten etc. Also the plans include other retail properties which we need here – there are many fairly everyday things that you can’t buy in Peacehaven.
Let’s hope Chris Ward is paying for that banner via his own money rather than MP expenses as it would be wrong for him to be using public money for a protest like this.
Or…put another way, championing an issue that is very important to a lot of local people.
He could support the campaign without plastering his name over a campaign banner – looks like self-promotion to me.
Could have referenced campaigners rather than himself. Good for MPs to support community campaigns, but they lose respect from me when they make it about themselves.
That’s fair, it is a campaign by a lot of people. There’s an element that applying his name as an MP puts pressure on Morrisons.
I’m sure he would have got his name in the paper and a quote even without the banner. Presumably he’s contacted Morrison’s directly to try and lobby them directly.
Just seems overkill for him to make it about him. Like the origibal poster put, let’s hope he didn’t use public money for his big red advertisement for himself.
Yeah, he’s been in a few meetings with Morrisons, from what I’ve heard. Morrisons just seem to be dragging their feet.
Morrisons who built a £2millon store in Crawley town centre and then left it empty after it financially under-performed? Who still kept the multi-storey car park open in order to steal revenue from Crawley Borough Council, as well as NCP, who got them for peanuts when the Commission for New Towns sold them off?
Given that social housing is in short supply, wouldn’t it have been a good idea if the planning committee insisted it be included?
If they haven’t built, and the land is derelict, then Lewes District Council should get off it’s lazy arse and get a Compulsory Purchase Order issued.
Morrisons is losing market share, struggling to make profits, heavily in debt and it’s existing estate is falling apart. I wouldn’t trust them.
Come on Chris Ward MP, this is exactly why the British economy isn’t growing, because of the new greedy American owners waiting until they can make a profit on their land banking. Do it for Rachel, if not just your own constituents.
3/4 Years without a Local Supermarket, that’s very naughty for the Community-people need that-those who reley on shopping local and not getting it delivered.
Someone else should come in to build-Lidl or Aldi, especially if Morrisons can’t give an explanation on it yet.
Hove Aldi is looking-nowhere near done-still a building frame tbh.
Get a delivery. You can just pick a time slot. Simple
Money would be better spent on Palestine and Ukraine They are really in need not getting a pizza and some milk!
Very true, of course; also, if you live in Hove you have plenty of choice. Please share some compassion for your local neighbours, too.
We really need a supermarket in Peace haven. Really pleased Chris is championing this cause.
Build a Waitrose, put in a link road from the back of Peacehaven to the A27 (might need a flyover at Telscombe Village) and watch the value of your house skyrocket!