Neighbours celebrate end of road for noisy store deliveries

Josie Hinton JUBILANT residents have won a victory over supermarket giant Tesco forcing the retailer to stop using their quiet St John s Wood street as a loading bay. After five years of blocked roads and noisy deliveries early in the morning and late at

Josie Hinton

JUBILANT residents have won a victory over supermarket giant Tesco forcing the retailer to stop using their quiet St John's Wood street as a loading bay.

After five years of blocked roads and noisy deliveries early in the morning and late at night, residents of the once tranquil St Ann's Terrace have finally won back their peace and quiet.

Rather than unloading at the front of the Circus Road Express store, the vehicles have been attempting to squeeze down the quiet terrace - a road so narrow cars often have to pass in single file.

But following a sustained campaign by residents and St John's Wood Conservative councillor Lindsey Hall, Tesco has finally agreed to make night-time deliveries to the front of the store.

"It's been a very long battle but we're delighted with the result," said Cllr Hall. "It just goes to show the power of people - if you all stick together you don't get derailed. If for any reason this doesn't work Tesco has agreed to look at restructuring the front of the building, but we're hoping that won't be necessary."

Resident Grazyna Green experienced a catalogue of problems since Tesco lorries bulldozed her wall in 2004.

She said: "I'm absolutely delighted with the news. St Ann's is a quiet residential terrace but we have had no residential peace and quiet since Tesco moved in.

"Councillor Hall fought this battle through to the end even when we sometimes gave up hope.

"Numerous people have tried to get Tesco to budge before, but it has never been done until she got involved in our campaign."

Patricia Willoughby, another resident, said: "I can't quite believe it. This battle has been going on for so long that I won't believe it until I see it happen. It will make a huge difference to daily life. This is such a large operation for a small area, and night time deliveries will be beneficial not only to those on St Ann's Terrace but to the entire neighbourhood."

The e-mail from Tesco confirming the new deliveries said it would take two to three weeks to implement and would depend on council support.

Martin Whittles, Westminster City Council's Project Director, said: "The council has worked with Tesco and local residents to find a solution that satisfies all parties and I'm delighted that it looks like we have found one.

"We will review the new arrangement in six months to ensure the store continues to operate with minimal disruption to local people."

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