Social Media Campaign to get Aldi to Oakham

Since Tuesday and the when the story broke that Rutland County Council Planning Officer, is recommending refusal of a new Aldi store in Oakham social media locally is starting to feature the views of those that support the purposed plan. 

Twitter and Facebook has started to come alive with some of the views of the local residents that want the store to appear in Oakham. For examples this comment by Lynne Dalzell on Twitter that got several retweets: 

Rutland County Council recommend refusal for the Aldi store in Oakham despite 94% of locals backing it. Is that a rat I can smell?

While others have called it a disgrace and have question the decision to recommend refusing planning permission to Aldi. I'm sure we can expect more as the days to the vote in the council draws nearer. Most people, it seems, want to have the store open in Oakham as shown by this comment on Facebook by Natalie Freckingham when the plans were announced by Aldi:

Oakham is desperate for an Aldi! Like some of the others have written here, I too will be doing my shopping in Oakham for the first time in years if this happens!! What possible reason could there be to not have one? After all, many of us would have spare money to put back into other local businesses that we can't normally afford to frequent!

The support for the store is not surprising given the domination of the other two supermarkets in the town, which many people feel are too expensive and don't cater for their needs. When Aldi held a public consultation at the Victoria Hall in Oakham back in Novemeber last year it was by all accounts a very busy affair compared to other such events in the town. It seems it a very popular move by Aldi to open store in Oakham. 

Personally I think Rutland County Council would be stupid to reject planning permission for the store at Tuesdays meeting. It could really backfire on them come the elections when they are all up for the chop if they are not careful, although that wouldn't be a bad thing given their track record. Remember how they planned to waste public money to indemnify the Chief Executive to take some their own council members to court and all the other things that have happened in the last four years since we last had local elections. 

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Update 10th October - A Facebook page has appeared to motivate people to go alone to the council meeting on Tuesday to make there feeling known and discuss the issue - https://www.facebook.com/events/1493868290867967/ .

Further update 10th October - It would seem that Rutland Times has at last got it's act together and posted a story on it website with comments from Aldi - http://www.rutland-times.co.uk/news/business/business-news/councillors-urged-to-reject-plans-for-aldi-in-oakham-1-6349512