Introduction

In recent years, the freight transport industry has been subjected to a series of circumstances and policies that have made the process of delivering goods and services to towns and cities increasingly difficult. In isolation, individual policies may appear manageable, but when looked at collectively, they form an effective barrier to sustainable and efficient deliveries. The main issues that are hindering efficient deliveries are:

• daytime road congestion caused by too many private vehicles
• red routes and bus lanes
• lorry bans and weight restrictions
• delivery curfews imposed by local authorities that restrict night-time deliveries
• congestion charging schemes
• punitive parking regimes and a lack of loading/unloading facilities

One of the most obvious ways of avoiding these barriers is to deliver goods and services 'out of hours'. This would alleviate many of the problems faced by transport operators and there would also be environmental and consumer benefits. This would be achieved by reducing the number of hgv movements during peak daytime periods and allowing retailers to put fresh produce on display much earlier in the day. In order to facilitate the process of utilising more night-time deliveries, it is important that operators/retailers, local authorities and Government make use of best practice methods available.

Background

Deliveries of goods to retail and business premises are an essential part of commercial life. Whilst it is recognised that deliveries are necessary to ensure that products are available when customers want them, many people object to the presence of large lorries in congested streets and complain about the noise, exhaust emissions and intrusion caused by delivery operations.

FTA has been carrying out detailed investigations on the subject of night-time deliveries. The objective of these investigations is to identify conditions under which delivery curfews imposed on retail stores could be relaxed in exchange for the adoption of best environmental practices at the delivery point. Industry accepts that restrictions have previously been put in place for understandable reasons, such as trying to avoid potential nuisance to the local community from delivery vehicles at anti-social hours. Furthermore, industry recognises that the total removal of curfews is neither practical nor appropriate. However, they are keen to make the case for greater flexibility in delivery times.

FTA acknowledges that reconciling the need for access for goods and services with local social and environmental concerns is vital. Hence, FTA has recently been working with the Department for Transport and Cabinet Office Better Regulation Executive to make the case for greater flexibility in delivery times. A joint industry/Government working group was established mid - 2004 to look at how planning conditions and other powers affect the distribution of goods. The working group consisted of representatives from:

• Association of London Government
• Birmingham City Council
• British Retail Consortium
• Cabinet Office (Better Regulation Executive)
• Camden Borough Council
• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
• Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• Department for Transport (DfT)
• Department of Trade & Industry (DTI)
• Exel Logistics
• Freight Transport Association
• Local Government Association
• National Society for Clean Air
• Planning Officers Society
• Road Haulage Association
• Transport for London
• Warwickshire County Council

The establishment of the working group helped stakeholders better understand the complexities of night-time deliveries and advised on how to make sure that planning procedures, traffic regulations and environmental health powers are used in a proportionate and co-ordinated way. The group had two clear goals:

• to develop guidance and a toolkit in relation to delivery restrictions
• to encourage pilot projects in which retailers, logistics companies, local authorities and other stakeholders work together to test relaxation of delivery curfews in defined areas

Delivering the goods: guidance on delivery restrictions

The 'Guidance on Delivery Restrictions' is an easy reference document which brings together various existing regulations and legislation and provides a platform upon which mutually acceptable arrangements can be reached by those parties involved when negotiating a relaxation of a night-time restriction. The structure of the Guidance is in modular format:

• Module 1
  Central Government policy and regulatory framework, including primary and secondary legislation
• Module 2
  Local Government policy and regulatory framework around night-time delivery restrictions
• Module 3
  Industry's views on delivery practices (eg options/best practice procedures that retail/logistics companies and local authorities might consider when discussing the potential relaxation of a specific restriction

What this Guidance aims to do?

• Help and explain in a brief and general manner what the legislation and the regulations say about night-time delivery restrictions as a reference point for further investigation
• Provide a guide to existing central and local Government policy and a concise overview of regulations/legislation in one reference document
• Explain who is responsible for enforcing restrictions, how the enforcement is managed, how deliveries might be managed, and what rights and duties are in place
• Draws upon guidance previously published by FTA

A full copy of 'Delivering the Goods: Guidance on Delivery Restrictions' can be downloaded by clicking here.

Delivering the goods: a toolkit for improving night-time deliveries

In addition to guidance being produced, a 'Toolkit' has also been developed to facilitate discussion between the relevant stakeholders with the key objective of negotiating a relaxation to an existing restriction. The Toolkit also provides a framework for running a trial study at a specific store. The toolkit is mainly aimed at retailers/logistics operators and identifies the methodology that should be applied when they want to negotiate a relaxation.

However, before using this toolkit, FTA recommends that logistics providers read the guidance document. The toolkit can be accessed by clicking on the links below:

About this toolkit

Part One: Making night-time deliveries : methodology and guidance

Part Two: Trial studies

Part Three: Night-time deliveries : noise

Part Four: Night-time deliveries : light

Part Five: Post trial study assessment

Part Six: About the templates

Appendices

Annex A: Consultation : sample letter from a retailer to a local authority

Annex B: Consultation : sample market research questionnaire

Annex C: So you want to undertake a trial study? : sample retailer checklist

Annex D: Checklists for night-time delivery site investigation reports (blank)

Annex E: Checklists for night-time delivery site investigation reports (completed)

Annex F: Night-time delivery - partners' tasks/output/responsibilities (blank)

Annex G: Night-time delivery - partners' tasks/output/responsibilities (completed)

Annex H: Night-time delivery training manuals

Last updated: Wed Jan 31 14:27:33 2007