At the heart of its rural community

Dec 17 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A TINY Co-operative society with just three branches is facing a huge challenge if a new Tesco gets off the ground in Holmfirth.

The site chosen by the supermarket giant is just a few miles from the Wooldale Co-op headquarters, where tough trading conditions have led to a round of cost-cutting during the past year.

Now the society’s directors are waiting to see if they will have to fight new competition.

Tesco wants to build a store on the former Midlothian Garage site off New Mill Road in Holmfirth which could lead to 350 full and part-time jobs.

It is described as an eco-store and the designers promise it will be the greenest supermarket in Yorkshire, possibly in the entire UK.

Its roof will be covered in moss – just one of several proposals to try to make the supermarket fit into the Last Of The Summer Wine countryside.

Wooldale Co-op – which has branches in Thongsbridge and New Mill as well as Wooldale – could be hit if Tesco wins approval for its store.

The society has been through a difficult period recently and last year members rejected proposals to merge with the bigger United Co-operatives.

Cost-cutting followed, with chief executive Fergie Cowan being made redundant in February this year.

A further blow hit the society this summer when the Post Office announced its branch inside the Wooldale store would close.

Joyce Whitworth, a director of Wooldale Co-op, says: “There’s hardly anyone in favour of the Tesco plan.

“It would kill not only Holmfirth, but the whole of the surrounding area as well. We’re doing OK at the moment, but a Tesco might have a severe impact.”

She joined the executive committee 12 years ago principally to keep branches going as a resource for villagers.

Joyce says: “I could see the Wooldale shop would close if somebody didn’t do anything about it.

“It’s very important to keep it going when there are many people, including myself, who are getting older and might not have a car eventually.”

Villagers founded Wooldale Co-op in 1886 and the first store quickly became too small for the growing needs of the community.

New premises on land opposite boasted grocery, household and haberdashery departments and a butchery.

A farm, corn and seed merchants and coal merchants were added over the years and two further branches were opened.

Land was acquired and homes built for residents and the society prospered into the 1940s.

In common with most other Co-ops, the 1950s began to see a steady decline in trade and a change in shopping habits and commitment.

It became difficult or impossible to record a trading surplus – and in some years losses were made.

An ambitious programme was launched to re-establish Wooldale Co-op as a modern, profitable and mutual convenience retailer.

Chief executive Fergie Cowan was able to report in May, 2006, that sales had doubled to a record £2.2m and were growing.

He said at the time: “"Five years ago, Wooldale Society was struggling as a result of a lack of vision and investment. Sales were just over £900,000 and declining.”

New Mill branch saw a £250,000 refurbishment incorporating a public library and IT facilities and was trading well above anticipated levels, he announced.

In 2006, the society met to discuss a merger with two even smaller Co-operatives – Shepley and Highburton, both with a single shop each.

The aim was to join forces to reduce costs and increase turnover, but the talks failed to reach an agreement.

In the spring of last year, the Wooldale society approached Rochdale-based United Co-operatives on the possibilities of a merger.

The boards of the two societies agreed, but in a special general meeting, the proposal was defeated 2-1 by the Wooldale members.

Chairman Malcolm O’Grady quit as a result of the vote, unhappy that his advice in favour of a merger was rejected.

Structural changes aimed at reducing costs led to chief executive and secretary Fergie Cowan being made redundant in February this year.

At the same time an online operation aimed at selling British groceries to ex-pats was axed after four years in operation.

New chairman Mark Lewis came in, promising a period of reorganisation to move to a different structure.

Now the directors wait and see how a new Tesco would hit not only the Wooldale branches but other shops in the area.

The businesses also include the large Co-op supermarket in Holmfirth itself, separate to the Wooldale society.

The two have been in talks and Joyce Whitworth reveals that Wooldale Co-op is to lodge an official objection to the planning application.

She says it is not only for commercial reasons, but also for the sake of villages who face disruption from delivery trucks which come and go from the Tesco.

“Obviously we’re worried at the Co-op, but so is everybody else I know,” she says.

She reveals that a housing plan for the proposed site was once refused not only for traffic reasons but also because part of the land was once used as a tip.

“How they think they could reject that but allow a supermarket, I don’t know,” she says.