Solihull supermarket deliveries prompt complaints from neighbours

Residents who complained about the noise of deliveries to a Solihull supermarket disturbing their sleep have secured a victory. 

Neighbours to the store raised concerns last summer that the Co-operative Food store was having deliveries outside of its permitted hours of 7am and 7pm, and on Sundays. 

The Balsall Common supermarket applied for permission to extend to 10pm but at a recent meeting of Solihull Council’s planning committee members rejected this. During the meeting planning officer Kim Allen explained delivery times to the store on Kenilworth Road were originally set when the store received planning permission in 1988.

“I think it is fair to say that with the passing of years that condition has probably not been regarded,” the officer said. “I even believe that it is most likely the Co-op forgot about its existence to start with. 

“Because complaints were received this was investigated and through that we have made the Co-op fully aware of that condition. The applicant has now submitted this proposal to us to vary those hours.”

The council received 12 objections to Co-op’s plan to have new times for deliveries of 7.30am and 10pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am and 4pm on Sundays.  Officers said an acoustic report had been carried out which found deliveries were likely to cause “severe adverse harm” to residents if delivered during night time hours. 

Get a bespoke headline round-up from Birmingham, as well as breaking news updates, when you sign up to BirminghamWorld’s free emails

Objector Elizabeth Timperley-Preece said: “My home borders Co-op’s yard. No doubt like many families surrounding Co-op I have a young child. How can it be acceptable for her to have only seven-and-a-half hours free from high peak impact noises for six nights a week when the recommended hours of sleep for a preschool child are up to 14 hours? If the Co-op can not meet current and future demand with its current delivery restrictions, they should be considering a new location.”

Elizabeth MacDonald, Balsall Parish Council chairman, said the authority objected to the supermarket’s original application to allow for unrestricted delivery times as “neighbours had a reasonable expectation of being able to get good sleep”. 

James Clark, the agent acting on behalf of the applicant, said the delivery times associated with the original 1980s application “do not reflect modern day business requirements”. He said the application struck a balance between making sure there was no detrimental impact on neighbours while the store – which he described as a “valuable asset to the local community” – could be stocked for customers.

During the debate Councillor Dave Pinwell, the acting committe chairman, said it was “unusual circumstances” to have lorries rumbling past the windows of houses. Councillor Heather Delaney asked how many deliveries there were a day – officers answering there were eight with the vast majority in the morning.

Councillor Jim Ryan said “With residential properties so close, I think (after 9pm) would be totally unreasonable.” Coun Pinwell said he agreed before councillors voted unanimously for talks to reopen between Heart of England Co-operative Society and Solihull Council.

A spokesperson for The Heart of England Co-operative Society confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service the supermarket later agreed to 9pm in those talks. And a Solihull Council spokesperson added the application was approved last month.