In a powerful display of community spirit, the residents of Bishops Cleeve have successfully campaigned to protect a cherished local cobbler from a proposed Tesco-owned Timpson store, forcing the retail giant to withdraw its plans.
A Community Rallies
The fight began when Tesco submitted a planning application to open a branch of Timpson, a key cutting and repair service, in the village. Locals immediately recognised the threat this posed to Macdonald, the long-established cobbler shop run by 62-year-old Alan.
Fearing for the future of his business, resident Gemma Surman took action by launching a petition. The community response was overwhelming, with the petition rapidly gathering more than 1,000 signatures and the local Facebook group going, in Alan's words, 'mad' with support.
The Weight Lifted
Just as the application was due to be discussed at a parish council meeting, Tesco confirmed it would not be progressing with the plans. For Alan, the news came as a huge relief. He explained that his business provides a living, not a fortune, and the loss of even a small portion of his income would have made survival very difficult.
Alan emphasised that the victory was about more than just his shop, noting that the application had received 80 formal objections. He framed it as a battle for the soul of small high streets everywhere, which are increasingly threatened by large chains that push up rents and swallow up independent, community-minded businesses.
A Family Legacy Preserved
The shop represents a deep family legacy for Alan. His grandfather first opened the cobbler business in the 1930s in Glasgow. After his father's business folded following an early death, Alan decided to honour his memory by starting his own shop in Bishops Cleeve in 1995.
His earliest memories are of helping his father at the age of five, doing small jobs like inking the edges of shoes. Today, after 30 years in the village, he feels an integral part of the community, offering services from shoe repairs to key cutting and watch battery replacement. The overwhelming support has cemented his feeling that it's a 'lovely place to live,' and he has no plans to retire soon.
Gemma Surman, the petition creator, summed up the sentiment that drove the campaign: 'Small businesses rely on the community, and the community needs to stick together and promote it.' While Tesco confirmed the withdrawal of the application, it did not explicitly state the petition was the reason.
