IT is natural to think that a new supermarket coming to Coleford/Lydney/ Cinderford, will bring jobs. It certainly will bring temporary construction work and jobs during the life of the building. But the horrible truth of it, proven over years of new stores in towns (where-ever they are in proximity to the town), is that it will cost more jobs than it brings.

This is particularly amongst local traders, suppliers and growers, with knock on effects for their cleaners, drivers, accountants and solicitors, etc.

Sounds daft? Well, supermarkets (particularly the big four – Asda, Morrison, Tesco and Sainsbury) get their supplies in bulk from, in the main, big farms. In doing so, they impose the price. This is not like normal buying, when the supplier sets the price. The supplier doesn't have much choice because the supermarket can pick and choose. Big names represent large contracts and a sense of security for that workforce. So the bulk-bought food and drink in supermarkets is likely to be cheaper than at 'the corner shop'.

Let's take milk, where supermarkets often proclaim they give a fair price for dairy farmers because the dairy has taken part in negotiating the price. Well, if a chain of corner stores has shut because they can't compete with the bulk discount buying power of supermarkets, the dairy farmer can no longer supply the corner store. He may have to turn to the supermarket for contracts because he won't survive if he doesn't. That's not real negotiation.

The price per litre is usually capped by using aids like the "Promar's cost tracker" which is linked to cow feed costs, eg, mostly wheat. If the price of wheat goes down, so does the price the supermarket pays the dairy for the milk. However, we all know that cows don't just eat wheat. Other feeds, vet bills, paid hands, fence fixing, etc, may all be going up at the same time. So what happens? The farmer cuts corners, sometimes without true want, to keep the contract, eg, a farm hand goes, the yard isn't sluiced as often or with the right disinfectant and, worst case scenario, TB takes hold from the mice that have gotten into the feed as the container needs replacing.

Mayhem can break out - and whadda-you-know the next thing is we're shooting badgers. Cheap milk is a downward spiral that leads to job loss, closure and bizarre political decisions. Don't scoff, it's been tracked.

I'm not here to defend Co-op, just to say they can't be compared to. When have they ever pretended to be one of the budget 4? In 2010 they put £12.4 million back into the community and their models are different. We also have online access to most food.

So next time we think about how much we want cheaper food, we might think about the stress we are saving a supplier by paying what it costs to produce the thing; think about the fags and beer we spend on but the food we won't; the next mobile phone / tv / car / hair-do we don't really 'need' but choose before quality food. And the jobs we support by using the small shops instead of the big ones. Please, just think.

The next Tesco Inquiry date is Wednesday 19th June 9.00-5.30 pm. It's becoming interesting and public speakers are being heard.

– Fran Challice, mainly a local shop shopper in Coleford.