Traffic mayhem feared by West Hampstead residents - WHAT forum ask council to impose delivery plan on new Sainsbury's store

Published: 16 December 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

WEST Hampstead residents are bracing themselves for traffic mayhem when another supermarket chain opens its doors in West End Lane.

Ever since Tesco Express arrived in the high street in May 2009, residents and traders have complained of delivery lorries blocking the road and causing huge tailbacks.

Now with supermarket giant Sainsbury’s set to open a few doors away, they fear twice the number of lorries will cause massive disruption to the street.

Members of the West Hampstead Amenity and Transport (WHAT) forum have asked Camden Council to impose a delivery plan on Sainsbury’s requiring them to use smaller vans.

Mark Hutton, of WHAT’s planning committee, said: “Tesco goods vehicles manoeuvring, loading and unloading already add to pollution, cause obstruction and congestion, inconvenience and danger to pedestrians and other road users and risk damage to pavements. These problems are highly likely to be accentuated by the proposed new Sainsbury Store.”

The group previously wrote directly to the retailer asking them to swap their lorries for vans out of “goodwill,” but were told: “We will deliver from West End Lane from the same place that Tesco deliver from. We are legally allowed to deliver from the Single yellow line here where there are no restrictions on loading.”

The supermarket has applied to Camden Council for permission to make a few minor changes to the store, which WHAT say gives planning chiefs the opportunity to impose delivery arrangements. 

But a spokeswoman for Camden said: “There is no change of use for the premises so Sainsbury’s don’t need planning permission. 

“We therefore can’t impose any restrictions on them in the planning process.”