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06
Nov
Lidl given go-ahead for 7am Sunday deliveries in Knaresborough despite objections
Lidl in Knaresborough has been given permission to make deliveries as early as 7am on Sundays despite objections.
The German supermarket has operated at the site of the former Co-op on Chain Lane since 2018.
Lorries were permitted to deliver from 9am to 5pm on Sundays.
However, North Yorkshire Council has approved plans for the store to be able to extend its Sunday delivery hours from 7am until 8pm.
The Monday to Saturday delivery times of 8am to 9pm are unaffected.
Lidl said the move was required as the current hours are “adversely affecting its ability to operate the store efficiently”.
In a planning statement, the supermarket said:
Due to the continued popularity of the store, Lidl has identified that the current restrictions on Sunday delivery hours are adversely affecting the efficient operation of the store and limiting its ability to maintain adequate stock levels.
Extending the delivery hours will allow Lidl to manage deliveries more effectively and ensure that the store remains appropriately stocked to meet customer demand.
The company will also build a two-metre acoustic fence on the north-east site boundary to protect nearby residents from noise.
Laura Bromley, case officer at the council, said the proposal would help to “enable the business to operate more efficiently which would have economic benefits in favour of the proposal”.
The line shows where the acoustic fence would go.
However, the move to change the hours received objections.
In a letter to the council, Knaresborough Town Council said the changes would lead to a loss of amenity, increased light pollution and lead to highways safety and congestion concerns.
It added:
Sunday is often the only day when residents can enjoy their gardens or quiet time without the background hum of commercial activity.
According to Lidl’s planning statement, deliveries can last up to an hour.
Articulated lorries with refrigerated units arrive via the Chain Lane entrance and reverse into a delivery bay at the north of the site.
The goods, which are usually on pallets, are moved into the store on trucks.
Most stores have two or three deliveries a day.
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