Sainsbury's quiet scheme pays off in Bournemouth
Page 11
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
chris.tindattfarbi.co.uk SAINSBURY'S SAYS its involvement in the Quiet Deliveries Demonstration Scheme has prevented it from being banned from making night-time deliveries, as well as helping to reduce congestion.
A month-long trial at the supermarket's Bournemouth store addressing noise concerns was so successful that the local authority has allowed it to continue receiving deliveries through the night.
It had faced a curfew due to residents' complaining about the noise, which would have resulted in at least three lorry deliveries being moved to the daytime on the busy trading estate.
Sainsbury's environmental manager Morag Robson says driver training and adoption of best-practice methods led to noise levels plummeting.
"Fundamentally, the two key criteria were: did we get any complaints, and is the council satisfied that we can keep our night-time deliveries? Certainly residents had no complaints during that trial, either directly to the council or the noise-abatement helpline." she explains. "There were two particular sets of residents that had complained in the past. They noticed a difference before and after."
Robson adds: "Training was quite a key part, making sure drivers weren't unnecessarily accelerating and that manoeuvring in the yard was kept to a minimum so they didn't engage their bleepers. It goes to show what little things can screw it up.
-The trial is a success, but the greater success is keeping it and ensuring we continue to not get complaints."
Consultant Stephen Kelly. who is helping to manage the scheme. which involves a consortium made up of the Freight Transport Association, the Transport Research Laboratory and Noise Abatement Society. says: "The positive outcome is that there is an ongoing partnership between the local authority and the retailer. We are hoping within the next four to six weeks we will have other trials up and running, but a full report is due in 2011:'