The Richmond Council has granted Tesco additional flexibility on the loading bay in front of their St Margarets Road Tesco Express by increasing its overall size and extending the loading time per vehicle to one hour. The details of the extension are as follows:
- Extend the loading bay outside 135 St Margarets Road by 4.4 metres north west towards Broadway Avenue.
- Convert remaining existing single yellow line to double yellow line (no waiting at any time) restriction.
- Maximum stay in the new loading box to be extended to one hour.
- Hours of operation of the loading box have been reduced to the hours of 9.30am to 4.00pm, Mondays to Saturdays.
In return, the Council has:
“recommended that Tesco be asked to contribute to ‘community initiatives’ in the St Margarets area, to demonstrate their commitment to the area and act as a ‘community leader’.”
– from the Cabinet Report Tesco St Margarets
– Amendments To The Waiting And Loading Restrictions, September 2005
Which ‘community initiatives’ and Tesco’s commitment to them have not been communicated yet.
Additionally, the Council claims that they will attempt to enforce the revised restrictions.
Comments
This is exactly what Tesco asked for a year ago. Except that the hours are now restricted from 9.30 to 4.30, so they will only endanger the lives of our children on the way home from school, not the way there.
The curious irony, however, is that while the loading bay is longer, is it not going to be made wider.
According to the Richmond Council Transport department:
"I can confirm that it is an offence to be stopped in a loading bay with part of the vehicle protruding outside the width of the bay into the general carriageway."
So in theory, every Tesco lorry will be in breach - So if you see one, report it to the Council or my Tesco Watch blog (details for both on updatebysms.blogspot.com )
Nigel on 2005-09-23 15:45:27 +0000Check out the Richmond & Twickenham Times this week to read about a local resident's plans to force Tesco to abide by parking regulations.
Lie-down threat of lorry loading bay protestor
A CAMPAIGNER battling against obstructive deliveries to Tesco in St Margarets has threatened to lie down in the loading bay if nothing is done about the constant abuses'.
-- http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.633191.0.liedown_threat_of_lorry_loading_bay_protestor.php
Peter @ stmgrts.org.uk on 2005-09-24 08:06:17 +0000The cabinet report seems extremely naive. Tesco has shown no inclination to join community initiatives so far and efforts to persuade them to use smaller lorries will be frustrated by extending the loading bay. Enforcement of these restrictions is long overdue and the width restriction should be forcefully applied.
And thanks to Nigel for his efforts on this issue.
Trevor Whittall on 2005-09-24 08:16:57 +0000shhhhhhh you'll wake our local councillors
mark on 2005-10-01 02:01:35 +0000Whilst I whole heartedly agree with the comments regarding the Tesco problem, I feel that if everybody followed my example and boycotted the store it would become no longer viable for Tesco's. Do we really want this monstrosity in our neighbourhood? Do we want to lose our village as the smaller shops who can no longer compete are forced to close down? I think it is about time that we start bullying Tesco rather than them bullying us. They obviously care not one iota for the local residents. Hit them where it hurts and maybe we can resolve this problem once and for all. Regards Ken
Kenneth Lea on 2005-10-19 08:30:07 +0000I pass the Tesco store in St Margarets every morning on my way to the station. Again at 740am they were again unloading a large juggernaut. Tesco appears to believe it is above the law but Richmond Council need to take some action rather than laying down and letting tesco ride roughshod over them (and the St Margarets residents). I for one refuse to use the store and am unwilling to see the heart of the village destroyed by the likes of Tesco and Superdrug. Well done to all the others who are unwilling to let this pass- we have to keep lobbying Richmond council and Tesco until we get some results- I for one am not going to go away
Paul Johnson on 2005-10-21 09:30:39 +0000Add a comment