MP joins fight against Tesco delivery bid

HAYES MP John McDonnell has joined the debate over the extension of Tesco’s delivery timings.

Tesco Extra, in Glencoe Road, Yeading, has applied to Hillingdon Council to extend its delivery timings, to allow deliveries to be made on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Currently, Tesco is only allowed to receive their goods deliveries from Monday to Saturday, but the supermarket chain has applied to the council to be allowed to deliver between 10am and 9pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

The controversial application has sparked a local campaign by Yeading’s Labour councillors, after a similar application was rejected in the mid 1990s.

Some local residents who fear the heavy goods movements will cause “significant disruption and noise”.

More than 20 years on, the councillors have canvassed local support and gathered signatures, which were submitted to the council before the deadline from comments on Friday October 26.

Speaking on behalf of the Yeading Labour councillors, Cllr Lindsay Bliss said: “It is no surprise that Tesco have resubmitted this application, despite huge opposition from local residents.

“Other stores in the area have been granted extended hours and now Tesco has jumped on the opportunity to appeal the decision that the planning committee had previously made.

“Regardless of what other stores are doing, the location of the delivery area at the Yeading Tesco store means that extended delivery hours will cause significant disruption and noise for local residents.”

In the application, Tesco highlights that by allowing deliveries during the day on Sunday, it can avoid a number of deliveries made just after midnight on Monday morning.

The first of these is currently being made at 12.01am on Mondays, followed by eight more deliveries before 7am on Monday.

Under the proposed timings, this would be reduced to three deliveries of bread at 5am.

Despite applying for delivery hours to run from 10am to 9pm on Sundays, the proposed schedule features six deliveries that day, with one every hour from 10am to 3pm.

Other than Mondays and Sundays, there are no other changes proposed to the supermarket’s delivery schedule.

Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell said: “My constituents have been subjected to noise and air pollution for too long.

“Through the summer months, they had to close their windows and were unable to enjoy their gardens due to the noise and the smell of fumes.

“To increase the delivery schedule is totally unacceptable”