Open letter to the CEO of Sainsbury’s Simon Roberts

• LOCAL residents don’t want the Sainsbury’s superstore at the Finchley Road O2 Centre to be demolished.

As part of the proposed redevelopment of the O2 in Finchley Road, Land Securities (the site owner) intends to demolish the Sainsbury’s superstore and, importantly, its car park.

Landsec have only given vague promises about replacing it with a very small Sainsbury’s Local, and no car park.

The Sainsbury’s O2 is the only superstore in this part of north west London that carries all the ranges (food, household items, clothing, etc) as well as a very useful Argos.

Demolishing it would leave customers with nowhere else to go other than the nearby Waitrose, which for many is not an option.

Those of us who are architects say that, with careful project management, it would be feasible to retain the superstore and the car park.

Landsec’s new residential accommodation could still be built over the whole site, including above the car park.

Land Securities have not been listening to our requests to retain the superstore. Objections are becoming increasingly vocal.

A number of us have therefore decided to appeal to you directly. We hope you will be sympathetic to our case. We ask to take it up directly with Land Securities.

SANDRA DOS SANTOS, PETER EISNER, AMIR KING, MARILYN MARK, KATE MARSTON, ARTHUR MAX, RUTH MAX, THOMAS MUIRHEAD, MARGARET PHILIPS & MILES THOMAS