Judy Chard, of Newton Abbot, writes: In The Observer newspaper this Sunday there was an article regarding Wal-Mart, The High cost of Low Price – this is a documentary film made by Robert Greenwald. The heading was 'The fortune that Wal-Mart spend on surveillance is not to protect customers but to watch its staff. This chain store, whose malign influence reaches out from its home office in Arkansas to every corner of the globe' (and that now includes Newton Abbot, and in case there is anyone left who does not know it, Wal-Mart owns Asda, the local company of this chain store). I now quote further from the feature from The Observer – 'Owned by the Waltons, the richest and meanest family in the world spreading misery wherever it goes. It exploits its American workers paying them so badly and providing such poor benefits that the state has to spend billions on healthcare and welfare... every time a branch opens, local businesses are crushed and downtown areas depressed. 'It has scant regard for environment and the fortune it spends on its surveillance is not to protect customers threatened with robbery and rape in their car parks but to keep an eye on the staff. 'In America at least there are, it seems, some communities getting together to repel Wal-Mart but the company can always find a battery of expensive lawyers. the courts have given numerous judgements against it across America'. I realise that the town in Newton Abbot's case is said to be getting great benefit from the generous work done on the various road 'improvements' by Wal-Mart at that end of the town. we shall have to wait and see if these come to fruition, but I cannot see that the poor souls whose houses are practically swamped by this hideous monstrosity can be particularly grateful they have a shop on their front doorsteps completely cutting out any outlook or view. I can only say that from common sense one must realise this trend of pressure from big chains and supermarkets is bound to have an enormous impact on community life and I hope the various local councils who are so keen on all these changes sleep happily in their beds at the thought of the small trader who are all being put out of business. In Newton Abbot we already have Marks & Spencer, Somerfield, Costcutters, apart from Tesco on the doorstep with free bus services out to The Willows on the Torquay road. In 1984, when I was commissioned by County Companions to write a comprehensive Guide to Devon, my entry on Newton Abbot, written more than 20 years ago, opened thus: 'This town used to be a warm and friendly market town where Victorian buildings stood among shady plane trees and farmers from the surrounding area brought their cattle. However 'planners' have put an end to all that with a shopping precinct, covered market stalls and a multi-storey car park which resembles a prison building. The town streets now have very few old family stores which have been replaced by multiples, chain stores, estate agents and building societies. However, even the planners cannot take away the past history of the town'. Little did I know...
