Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP leads local residents in demo on Portobello Road

4.55.00pm GMT Sat 10th Nov 2007

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP leads local residents at the demo

Dozens of local residents joined the Liberal Democrats on Friday 9th November for a public demonstration outside Woolworths in Notting Hill, in support of local shops in Portobello Road. Many businesses in Portobello Road have closed or have been under threat from increased rents or development plans.

The Portobello branch of Woolworths is the most visible store to have come under threat. The original plan for redevelopment would have seen Woolworths closed after 80 years on the street and replaced by luxury flats with small commercial units on the ground floor which would have brought in high rents for the landlord.

It was the Lib Dems who broke the news to residents about the original redevelopment plans, and then about them being shelved by the developer due to massive public opposition.

JMW Barnard, the Managing Agents for UK Investments, a secretive 'Super-Landlord' who owns the Woolworths site, have recently said they are interested in keeping Woolworths on the road.

Simon Hughes MP on Portobello Road where he spoke with campaigners

Local Lib Dem campaigner Carol Caruana said: "This is a major step forward for the community and a massive U-Turn from a company that just three months ago had such ambitious plans to demolish the store entirely. We have publicly welcomed JMW Barnard's newly-professed love for the Woolworths store. But we must ensure that their talk is turned into action this time. We would like a categoric assurance that the lease for Woolworths will be renewed when it expires in June 2009 and that no further redevelopment plans will be put forward that would be detrimental to the unique and precious retail environment on Portobello Road."

At the demonstration, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, the Lib Dem MEP for London, led chants of "Renew their lease," and "Save our shops".

Local campaigner Peter Kosta said: "The public demonstration on 9th November sent a loud message not just to UK Investments but to all Super-Landlords - that local people do not want much-used local stores to be replaced by buildings that will have little or no use for local people."

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More Pictures of the Demo.