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Village unites to protect traditional cobbler

Mitzi MottGloucestershire
News imageBBC A photograph of a middle-aged man, smiling at the camera. He is white, with short light hair and tattoos on his arms, wearing a black gilet on top of a blue long-sleeved top. He sits in a shop, with shoes piled up in front of a window and tool shelving on the wall.BBC
Alan Macdonald remembers helping his father with the trade from the age of five

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition asking a supermarket to withdraw a planning application for a new Timpson unit, over concerns for a village’s traditional cobbler.

Bishop's Cleeve resident Gemma Surman started the petition, concerned the proposals would impact the cobbler shop Macdonald, about 350 ft away from the village’s Tesco superstore.

"It's always been my worst fear," owner Alan Macdonald said about the plans for one of the UK's largest service retailers to move into the Gloucestershire village.

Shortly before the application was due to be discussed at a parish council meeting, Tesco confirmed it would not be progressing the proposal for the unit.

Explaining her decision to start the petition, Ms Surman said: "Small businesses rely on the community and the community needs to stick together and promote it."

Mr Macdonald, originally from Glasgow, joined the family trade and set up the cobbler shop in 1995.

News imageA photograph of a middle-aged woman, smiling at the camera. She is white with long blonde hair and wearing thick-rimmed glasses with a leopard print jumper. She stands in a shop, with indistinct items for sale in the background.
Gemma Surman promoted the petition on community social media groups

"My dad died when I was in the army. His business folded, so I always wanted to start up in his name," he said.

"You become an integral part of the community, don't you? They're carrying me out of here in a shoebox."

Asked about the reaction to the petition, he added: "I'm quite humbled. Everybody is just amazing. I can't say enough praise about them."

Tesco confirmed that it is withdrawing the planning application and did not specify if this was due to the petition.

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