I'm not aware of anybody posting on this thread who runs a business in Forest Hill. I'm not aware of any other interest groups to which people may belong, nor am I aware of your membership of any interest groups. I'm the chair of the Forest Hill Society, but I like to think I'm speaking in a personal capacity when I say: "I won't personally be signing the petition".

Other people will have other views, and a discussion of the pros and cons of a new shop should be allowed. Any change will have implications, but these are not always easy to predict, and different people are entitled to different concerns.

It wasn't long ago that many of the same people (that time including me) were campaigning to keep a launderette on the high street rather than see it become an estate agent. It isn't just about gentrification, there are sensible concerns about the overall impact on the high street. And, as I said before, I don't think there would have been the same level of opposition if it were Paddy Power being replaced by Morrisons.