Both Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer in Newport have applied to the Isle of Wight Council to extend the permitted hours in which lorries can make deliveries to each store.
During the COVID pandemic, the Government has relaxed a number of restrictions to allow supermarkets to keep the nation fed, with 24-hour deliveries temporarily allowed to ensure the shelves remain stocked.
Now, as the country comes out of the pandemic, Sainsbury’s on Foxes Road is asking for permission to accept deliveries 24 hours a day, whilst Marks & Spencer on Church Litten is seeking the ability to take deliveries between 06:00-20:00 and between 08:00-16:00 on Sundays/Bank Holidays.
Sainsbury’s is only permitted to accept deliveries between 05:30-23:30 Monday to Saturday and 08:00-23:00 on Sundays and Bank Holidays. This is in order to prevent annoyance and disturbance, particularly sleep disturbance, to nearby neighbours. In 2012, Sainsbury’s tried to extend the delivery period to 05:30-23:30 7 days a week, but permission was refused on the grounds of disturbance to neighbours.
The supermarket giant says that 24-hour deliveries are essential for an efficient operation and to ensure that fresh and perishable products are on the shelves when the store opens at 07:00. It’s noted that over the past 18 months nighttime deliveries have been taking place, in line with COVID frameworks, with no noise complaints made during that time.
Marks and Spencer were originally only allowed deliveries between 07:00-20:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00-16:00 on Sundays and Bank Holidays. However, in 1999 this was varied (on appeal) to allow deliveries between 06:00-20:00 and 07:00-16:00 respectively on dates between 18th December and 1st January only.
Similarly to Sainsbury’s, M&S has been receiving deliveries prior to 07:00 Monday to Saturday and prior to 10:00 on Sundays throughout the pandemic and has also received no noise complaints. However, moving forward, the supermarket requires a longer-term solution through extended delivery hours in the morning which will enable it to provide customers with a full range of fresh products on a daily basis.
The upmarket supermarket wants deliveries to take place between 06:00-20:00 on weekdays and Saturdays and between 08:00-16:00 on Sundays and Bank Holidays, whilst retaining the ability to accept deliveries as early as 07:00 on Sundays and Bank Holidays between 18th December and 1st January.
There has been some suggestion that the store could open to customers earlier in the future if deliveries are permitted earlier.
About time supermarkets were allowed to open longer hours on Sundays as well.
That would require an amendment by Parliament to a change the Sunday Trading Act 1994. At the time Parliament was under great pressure from a number of groups particularly the church to restrict the amount of hours large shops, especially supermarkets could open on Sundays. If Parliament, in their wisdom put forward an amendment to extend the Sunday trading hours those working in the retail sector would have to work longer and the cost of paying their increase in wages would be met by the consumer. So not a good idea YJC.
what about getting on ferries should allow 24/7 considering the way theferries run nowadays