Crieff Aldi fined for out-of-hours delivery
Perth and Kinross Council has served a fixed-penalty notice on Aldi bosses after staff at the company’s Crieff store were reported for bringing in a delivery outwith permitted hours.
A condition attached to the company’s consent to construct the Broich Road store stipulates workers should only accept deliveries between 6am and 11pm from Monday to Saturday and between 7am and 10pm on a Sunday.
The local authority had to serve a breach of condition notice on managers reminding them of the agreement in September last year after residents reported staff to officials for breaking the rule.
A spokesperson for Aldi said at the time bosses believed restrictions to delivery times had been eased as part of government efforts to help supermarkets stay well stocked during one of the worst periods of the coronavirus pandemic.
Now the council has served another notice on managers demanding a payment of £300 before February 12 after a resident reported staff for bringing in a load up until 25 minutes to midnight on a Thursday night in early December last year.
The notice said:“This notice offers you the opportunity ... to discharge liability for prosecution for the said offence by paying a fixed penalty of £300 no later than February 12.
“Failure to pay the fixed penalty fee within 30 days will result in the planning authority referring the case to the procurator fiscal seeking prosecution.
“The fine on conviction (currently up to £1000 for each offence) may be much higher than the fixed penalty.”
A PKC spokesperson commented: “The council received a report of the incident on December 10 from a nearby resident. We verified that there had been a breach and the fixed penalty notice was served on January 13.
“Aldi have contacted the council and accepted a breach occurred; a delivery was made on December 10 outwith the permitted hours. Aldi have acknowledged the fixed penalty notice and advised that it will be paid.
“The company has also advised that they have changed their delivery programme for this store to avoid further breaches.
“We have additionally advised Aldi that, should there be exceptional circumstances that require deliveries outwith permitted hours, such as COVID effects, they should approach us to agree temporary or interim arrangements.”
The PA approached Aldi’s public relations team for comment but received no response.