Bug walk flags green concern at Sainbury’s plan

Locals are still unhapy about Sainsbury's Wilmer Place proposal

Locals are still unhappy about Sainsbury’s Wilmer Place proposal

Residents fighting plans for a new Sainsbury’s in Stoke Newington will take to the streets on Saturday dressed as bugs and plants.

The Bug Parade on July 27 aims to raise awareness of the green space that will be lost if the store is built.

Locals plan to parade from Abney Park Cemetery around Stoke Newington, leaving at 12.30pm.

A Stokey Local spokesperson said: “This is not a ‘protest march’, it is a bug parade – a fun way to show how we feel and to galvanise support while celebrating the uniqueness of Stokey (which after all is what we are trying to preserve).”

Residents of Stoke Newington have waged a long campaign against a proposal for a large Sainsbury’s in Wilmer Place and saw off an earlier plan.

The developers, Newmark Properties, are resubmitting their proposal to Hackney Council on 31 July and local campaign groups want to make sure locals are aware of this.

One group, Stokey Local, warned the original plans would impact on the character and heritage of the area, put local businesses in danger and would generate more traffic and noise pollution.

Newmark said they took these views into account and that  “substantial” changes had been made to their plans. These include reducing the size of the development, increasing the number of family-sized homes and green spaces in the area and retaining buildings on Stoke Newington High Street that had previously been tagged for demolition.

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