First zombies, now beetles march to oppose Sainsbury’s supermarket development

Residents who dressed up for the zombie protest two years ago. Photograph: Tim Sullivan

Last time around it was zombies. Now protesters dressed as beetles, centipedes and other minibeasts will parade through Stoke Newington to show their opposition to a Sainsbury’s superstore planned for the area.

A so-called Bug Parade will take place on Saturday 27 July to highlight threats to the biodiversity of Abney Park Cemetery that campaign group Stokey Local claims the development will pose.

This comes two years after protesters dressed as zombies marched through the area.

Newmark Properties have filed a revised planning application for the Wilmer Place scheme with Hackney Council after the Town Hall’s planning sub-committee rejected earlier plans.

Stokey Local says it is “all systems go” to stop the new plans, which it says are “virtually identical” to the old ones.

Newmark Properties say their scheme, which will also include the creation of new homes, will bring benefits to Hackney.

The planning sub-committee is to vote on the issue on July 31.