Here is the petition for saving Streatham Ice Rink, in case anyone is interested in signing up.
This article is quite hilarious really. Tesco wanted a revision of the 2007 plans for the rink, which was originally intended as a hub for the local area. Citing such nebulous reasons as "The Credit Crunch" and economic downturn, they became increasingly reluctant to guarantee the safety of the ice rink to local campaigners.
"The Credit Crunch"? Tesco has shown itself to be Crunch-proof, with sales in 2009 topping £1billion a week and yearly profits of more than £3billion. Trading profits climbed 10% during the darkest days of the recession, for God's sake.Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy even suggested that the recession was "bottoming out" in the Guardian article at the bottom of this entry.
It seems more likely that Tesco's reticence to maintain the ice link as owner is profoundly misplaced. What could have been a coup for Tesco's (developing the local area, creating a hub in an area that desperately needs a developed centre) has been revealed as a marketing sham. Tesco seem to have stalled the development/reparation of the rink so that it becomes shabby and devalued in the eyes of the community.
"Imagine how happy they will be" you can imagine the Tesco marketing buffs saying to their shareholders, "Imagine how happy they will be when we get rid of that old, dilapidated, defunct ice rink and replace it with a gleaming new Tesco Express!".
What a fantastically unique vision for the Streatham community indeed.
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