The Co-op with its Post office in Westbourne! will close on 27th October.
The future of local village shops is on the line, and we need to act immediately before a bad regulatory decision leaves us with empty storefronts and fewer options.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is moving forward with a plan to force the national Co-op Group to sell off 15 Southern Co-op stores, explicitly targeting vital community hubs in East Wittering (The Parade) and Westbourne (The Square).

The CMA claims they are doing this to "protect consumer choice" following the Co-op merger. But in a small village, forcing out an established, working supermarket does the exact opposite. If a buyer isn't approved or the units end up closing, we lose a vital lifeline, jobs disappear, and consumer choice is completely destroyed.

Let’s look at the reality for our villages:

·         The Irony: By forcing Co-op to offload these successful, well-loved community hubs, the regulators are disrupting established stores.

·         The Risk: While the official plan is to sell them to a new grocery operator to keep them trading, what happens if a suitable buyer isn't approved? If these units ultimately close down, local residents are left with fewer options, not more.

·         The Impact: It means longer journeys for essentials, potential job losses for local staff, and empty storefronts in the heart of our villages.

For rural communities and coastal villages like ours, these convenience stores are vital lifelines. We need regulators to understand that generic antitrust rules don't always translate to better choices on the ground.

Don't wait for the shop to disappear, please make your voice heard.

Please take the time to email both the CMA case team and your local MP. Let them know that generic corporate rules don't work for rural villages, and that forcing these sales puts and community infrastructure at severe risk.

Who to write to and Email:

The CMA Case Team:

• Email: coopgroup.southerncoop@cma.gov.uk

• Subject line: Objection to Co-operative Group / Southern Co-operative Merger Divestments (East Wittering & Westbourne)

Jess Brown-Fuller MP (Member of Parliament for Chichester) Emailto: BrownFuller.MP@parliament.uk

Include your full name and local address in the email so she knows you are a voting constituent!)

Westbourne Parish Council 17th October 2026