Birmingham MP John Hemming forced to apologise for criticising businessman opposing new Swan shopping centre superstore in Yardley

Sep 28 2009 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM MP John Hemming has issued a public apology after criticising a businessman.

He agreed to “apologise unreservedly” after publishing comments about landowner Jeremy Knight-Adams in a Liberal Democrat In Focus newsletter.

The leaflet made allegations about a person who is refusing to sell land required by Tesco for a new superstore at the Swan shopping centre in Yardley.

It made claims about the motives of the landowner, who is opposing city council attempts at compulsory purchase.

Although Mr Knight-Adams was not named, his lawyers argued it was clear the words must have been referring to him because no-one else who owned land needed for the Tesco Extra store was objecting to the CPO.Mr Knight-Adams has put forward his own proposals for a new “community-orientated” shopping centre in Yardley.

Mr Hemming accepted that Mr Knight-Adams was not using spoiling tactics in an attempt to block Tesco. The apology, in a new leaflet distributed to hundreds of homes in Mr Hemming’s Yardley constituency, points out that Mr Knight-Adams is a property developer and has had involvement in a number of major retail developments in the Midlands.

It goes on to state that, far from buying land to block Tesco, Mr Knight-Adams has owned the sites in question for more than 20 years.

Mr Knight-Adams said: “I believe the people of Yardley deserve better than a whacking great superstore and a number of extra retail units.”

He is demanding Mr Hemming pays his costs and makes a substantial payment to charity. A spokesman for Mr Knight-Adams said lawyers for both sides were trying to reach a costs settlement.

Mr Hemming said: “We never intended to identify Mr Knight-Adams in the leaflet and we don’t think we did. If he thinks we did, we are very sorry.”