Westbury Residents Divided Over New Texaco Somerfield

Westbury on Trym has been split apart by the opening of the new Texaco Somerfield on Falcondale Road.

The divisions - exclusively revealed on Trym Tales following an exhaustive poll of blog readers - cast doubt on the suburb's ability to remain united in the wake of the supermarket's latest development in the heart of the community.

"The village feels like Mitovica," said one Westbury resident who wished to remain anonymous. "We all used to get on happily until the petrol station was bulldozed."

Key survey findings reveal:

• 33% of residents describe the petrol station as "the source of all evil"
• an identical percentage accept that "it's got to go somewhere"
• a staggering 22% claim the new mart means that "all my shopping needs are met at last"
• a mere 11% describe the dadaist building as "a wonder of design and innovation"

With opinion so sharply divided, community leaders on both sides of the River Trym (which flows symbolically underneath the re-built petrol station) have appealed for calm in light of the shock survey.

"We appeal for calm," said one community leader on the north pro-Somerfield bank who wished to remain anonymous.

"So do we," replied a south-bank leader, "though we do have grave concerns for the long-term viability of the Canford Road Somerfield."



Editor's notes:

The Trym Tales survey was conducted over a 28 day period in Jan-Feb 2008. The nine votes cast represent the lowest turn out for a local survey since records began.

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