A BUSY supermarket is trying to get permission for a longer period of deliveries at the weekend. Waitrose in Leyton Road, Harpenden, currently has permission for deliveries between midday and 5pm on Sundays. But it wants to extend that period from 9am to
A BUSY supermarket is trying to get permission for a longer period of deliveries at the weekend.
Waitrose in Leyton Road, Harpenden, currently has permission for deliveries between midday and 5pm on Sundays. But it wants to extend that period from 9am to 5pm to ensure that the store remains fully stocked on that day.
St Albans District Council turned down the application because of the impact on neighbouring properties of deliveries between 9am and midday on Sunday at a time when they could reasonably expect a quiet environment.
But Waitrose has appealed against the decision which it argues has resulted in a lack of customer choice.
In a written appeal to the Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government, the store points out that if it was able to accept deliveries from 9am on a Sunday, there would be customer benefits from food being on the shelves before the doors open at 10am.
They say that receiving deliveries when the store is at its busiest results in conflict between staff stocking shelves and customers.
Waitrose maintains that environmental noise assessments it has had carried out showed that the increase in the average noise level would be negligible and no noisier than nearby church bells and deliveries for Marks and Spencer.
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