114 replies to this topic

[blunt pencil]

Full marks for the CO-OP. My favorite Burley landmark. They have exceeded themselves with their latest improvement to shop frontage

The ugly blue steel-doors to guard the shop at night.



It looks like an inner city housing estate. Talk about over the top.

How long has this sleazy store been promising a refit. Instead, we got some extra shelving from another shop. The floor is a mess. The layout was designed by a child. And the stock room - well, i still think they use the shop floor to store stock.


It seems the only "improvement" they have bothered with, is this horrible blue security door.

Do they not need planning permission for this - as it changes the shop frontage and is NOT in keeping with the rest of the shops in the village.

[weirdmusic]

Do a Google search - "co-op" store revamp 2010 - see what has happened to Co-Op stores around the country.
For example:
http://www.dailypost...55578-27541630/

http://www.theambler...ve-of-activity/

http://www.coventryt...92746-27101986/

http://www.lincolnsh....asp?PageID=523

What do we get - a load of second-hand kit + a blue steel door.
When are they going to put metal grilles over the windows; the steel bollards on the pavement to stop ram-raiders; the razor-wire?

[blunt pencil]

I love these adverts ...



"we've had a massive upturn in business since the refit" - CO-OP store manager



I wish we could get a quote from the Burley store manager

[Young Farmer]

A while ago when I rang co-op HQ (about 3-4 months ago) they assured me that the store was due for a re-fit, although couldn't even tell me which year we would be looking at before a re-fit. Bunch of idiots.

[blunt pencil]

All

if anyone is concerned about the poor storage or condition of food, please feel free to complain:


Food Complaints, Food Hygiene in Food Businesses and Food safety -
(01274) 432369


if anyone is worried that a shelf looks unstable, that they have been hit from items falling from overstocked shelves, or possibly a slip or trip from the broken flooring, please feel free to complain:

Health and Safety at Work
(01274) 433928


All numbers are to Bradford MDC Environmental Health Department

[nabbers]

Since this building falls within the conservation area MAP Then why has it been allowed to be developed into such an eye sore?

Do the local council turn a blind eye to the existence of the conservation area? Only everywhere I look I see new UPVC windows being fitted to Victorian and Georgian period buildings and somehow I can't believe that every single one has permission from the council and if they have, whats the point of having a conservation area?

[Grumpy]

Do the local council turn a blind eye to the existence of the conservation area?

As commented above, the village is being turned into something resembling a council estate. And the council are the principal villains. Dont forget this is based in Bradford which is probably one of the scruffiest run down dumps in the UK. So the Coop frontage ties in nicely with all the ugly traffic calming measures imposed on us.

And how can anyone criticise the Coop for having an inappropriate frontage when it sits opposite the Parish rooms-a building which , at least to my eye, has nothing in common with any other building in the conservation area but which was given planning permission.

You only have to look at the Council's review of the conservation area (http://www.bradford....leAppraisal.pdf)

where this building is described as a "postive change" (their spelling) and "sits well within the streetscape"

There is no hope for Burley given the current set up/set of idiots

[blunt pencil]

I think the questions have to be:

1. Did the CO-OP apply for planning permission
2. Who approved it - if anyone
3. Can they explain how its design "reflects the character of the area, of traditional materials, scale and appearance".
4. AND MOST OF ALL did they ignore the advice that "external security shutters and fixed blinds will be resisted in conservation areas"


Have a look at section 8.2 (page 30) of Bradford MDC Shopfront Design guide. Its all in there - Here's the link

http://www.bradford....esignGuide2.pdf


So it would be nice for somebody from the council to let us know

[Raz]

The only reason these doors have been fitted is because the gentleman who lives above the store complained that the shutters were making too much noise when opening/closing. costcutter are even having the same problems

[blunt pencil]

That would not surprise me.

The CO-OP are a joke.

This will be the same tennant who complained that the fridge motors were making too much noise - hence in the middle of summer, the store turned off all the refridgerators.


Next we will hear that the tennant got cold in the flat above, therefore needed more stock lining the downstairs floor so as to reduce the available airspace.

[Raz]

theres actually a lot of work on going at the moment with regards to the store and its state/location and even though this is not visible you will notice a lot going on quite shortly i believe. They never turned them off they genuinely packed in, but it is the reason they do not have wine chillers. The thing is, even though you complain i bet you still use it

[MrsM]

Raz, on 02 January 2011 - 09:47 PM, said:

The thing is, even though you complain i bet you still use it

Actually no, I often choose to drive to Menston or the little Tescos in Ben Rhydding. I would love to be able to walk to the local shop instead, but quite frankly at the moment what is the point!

[catbazza]

Raz, on 02 January 2011 - 09:47 PM, said:

theres actually a lot of work on going at the moment with regards to the store and its state/location and even though this is not visible you will notice a lot going on quite shortly i believe. They never turned them off they genuinely packed in, but it is the reason they do not have wine chillers. The thing is, even though you complain i bet you still use it

There seems to be a bee in the bonnets of some people about the Co-op in Burley, just think of all the things they supply you with for your daily life, if it was to close down tomorrow what would you do?, you would have to travel out of the village for all the thing you buy from there especialy newspapers to mention just one item.

So travel & increase your carbon footprint & your costs, & to quote Raz "I bet you still use it!" un quote.

[MrsM]

catbazza, on 03 January 2011 - 09:29 AM, said:

There seems to be a bee in the bonnets of some people about the Co-op in Burley, just think of all the things they supply you with for your daily life, if it was to close down tomorrow what would you do?, you would have to travel out of the village for all the thing you buy from there especialy newspapers to mention just one item.

So travel & increase your carbon footprint & your costs, & to quote Raz "I bet you still use it!" un quote.

For these items I use the local garage. For food items I wouldn't use the Burley Co-op for the reasons that other people have already stated, lack of choice, concerns over food hygiene etc....

[blunt pencil]

I avoid it whenever possible.

It is my absolute last choice.

And if we lost it - brilliant, maybe costcutter would take it over. Or somebody else would develop the old Otley carpet mills shop.

I too walk to the garage. Its exercise, the layout in the garage is actually better given their smaller floor space.

But ultimately everyone is making the same point. Its about choice.

If people want to shop in a hovel, then thats up to them. Wherever possible, I would go somewhere else.


And the purpose of this thread was quite clear - The steel door that has been put in, looks ugly, its not in keeping with the village and I would ceretainly hope it has not been given planning permission. And in that case, I hope the CO-OP get prosecuted for it.

And - the promises of a shop refit have gone on for at least 12 months. In that time, the fridges broke/ shut down/ turned off. We got a load of second hand shelving that made the available floor space even worse than it was. Its single file walking round the shop in places. The piles of produce look unstable. The floor is uneven and broken. - YET they can erect that awful gate.


Have a look at the YOU-tube of how a CO-OP store should look. Spacious layout, open glass windows, staff on the tills and no empty boxes and roll cages thrown outside. Then look at the dump we have got.


And, and - if the CO-OP have modified their frontage - then surely they should have considered disabled access (also in the Bradford planning code). I think a little more than a poorly placed bell at the side of the door is in order. Its difficult getting more than one person on a till, never mind them actually going to the door.


I think the best improvement the CO-OP could do, is put a door mat outside the shop - so you can wipe your feet on the way out

[nabbers]

I used to live in the flat above that shop. I never had an issue with noise, the bedroom is on the third floor and I was glad to live in such a lovely spot in the middle of the village.

Because of one moaning person, they have had to turn off fridges and serve cold wine and get rid of the roller shutter. They are having to balance the needs of their customers with those of their neighbour and currently the neighbour is winning. Since alcohol and cigarettes are a target for ram raiders and Burley has no police presence, then some form of security is needed, but this should be internal, the current shop front is a disgrace and should never have been allowed.

I may be wrong, but at one time the shop had three different landlords as it used to be three shops, there are three flats above, If this is still the situation, this means organising improvements will be quite difficult.

The council have a very lax attitude towards enforcing the conservation area. Their response to unsuitable installations without permission of UPVC windows is to issue the home owner with a form for 'certificate of lawfulness', instead of making an example of the transgressors. No doubt the same will apply here. There is no way this would be allowed on The Grove in Ilkley.

The rules are there, why aren't the council enforcing them? Well if they enforce it here then they also have to enforce them everywhere and a quick tour around the village shows how many have broken the rules!

[Wharfedale]

Let me publically say how grateful I am to the Burley in Wharfedale Coop for the help and support in the iBurley.com campaign.

The Coop donated a Fair Trade Hamper and a space and stall at the Christmas lights switch on along which was a great boost.

I found this image via facebook and thought I’d share it.

[Harveybos]

Wharfedale, on 03 January 2011 - 01:42 PM, said:

Let me publically say how grateful I am to the Burley in Wharfedale Coop for the help and support in the iBurley.com campaign.

The Coop donated a Fair Trade Hamper and a space and stall at the Christmas lights switch on along which was a great boost.

I found this image via facebook and thought I’d share it.

Great pic Wharfedale, and yes, the Co-op are to be commended for supporting the iBurley campaign. The Co-op is a very community minded business and I’m sure that they are painfully aware of the problems relating to the Burley store, not least in the potential revenue they are missing out on. The real issue is, whatever the Co-op do to the old Leeson’s premises, it’s just not suitable for a modern convenience type store. Now, I have heard rumour that major plans are afoot to address this in the near future……..

[catbazza]

The shop front/s from when it was Leesons (who first started the expansions into surrounding shops) looked quite tidy & didn't really create any controversy & were very pleasent to shop with, people did not continually moan about the shop fronts including the PVC window units on the upper floors.

From Mrs Leeson selling out to the the Co-op things have changed, they were bound to, new owners new ideas.

The original Co-op was down Peel Place & nobody complained about anything they did & used to have queues outside the doors on a Saturdays.

Compare them now, have they gone downhill?, YES/NO.

[Young Farmer]

As has already been mentioned, the co-op were experiencing a what would be regarded by some as a 'difficult' tennant in the flat above the store. And I wouldn't be suprised if this was the reason for the shutters being replaced with the safety door. I understand why people are angry & confused about the need for a safety door, but the fact is, if word gets out to some of the surrounding areas *cough* over the hill and not so far away*cough*
that there is nothing protecting a feeble door, then I think there will be an increase in crime in burley.

Saddening that the shutter, which is out of sight most of the day has been replaced with the ugly new doors. But I do understand why.