Elderly residents of apartments close to Tesco’s Heswall store say any variation in delivery hours could have “considerable” impact on their health

Mar 9 2011 by Matt Hurst, Heswall News

ELDERLY residents of apartments close to Tesco’s Heswall store say an application to allow deliveries at night could seriously affect their health.

The Telegraph Road outlet has tabled a request to Wirral Council’s planning department that would allow the firm to make deliveries as early as 5am, and as late as 11pm.

But residents of Dale Court, many of whom are in their 90s, say the impact of any permission to vary delivery hours could be “considerable”.

Les Hislop is 93 and has lived in Dale Court for more than a decade.

He told the News: “The worst thing is the bleeping of the warning sign when the trucks are reversing.

“If they get night-time deliveries, we’re going to get this warning sound in the middle of the night and it will make us sit up in bed when we hear a sound like that.

“The affect on our health could be considerable.”

Tesco has applied to Wirral Council for a night-time delivery “trial period” and a “temporary relaxation” in planning conditions which forbid deliveries before 7am.

Ruby Grannell is 90 and has lived in Dale Court for 14 years.

She has collected a petition of signatures from fellow residents opposed to the move and says, despite not having permission to do so, Tesco has already delivered at night.

Ruby said: “We’re very much against it, there will be an awful lot of noise.

“One resident was woken up at 2am because they kept the fridge engines running.

“It’s the noise from banging doors, the shouting and because the wagons’ refrigeration units are left running.”

Heswall Councillor Andrew Hodson says the application by Tesco is “disgraceful”.

Cllr Hodson said: “It will interfere with the lives of the people who live close by.

“Tesco keep coming back to try and get extra hours and it’s disgraceful that they keep doing it because they know how it upsets people here.

“It causes such strong feelings for people who live around that area.

“Tesco should have more consideration for the people who live in close proximity, I certainly will be standing with them.”

A spokesman for Tesco said: “We want to make sure that our customers can always get what they need from the store, so we've asked for a trial period to extend deliveries.

“We pride ourselves on being a good neighbour, which is why this is a just a trial at this stage.”

Those who wish to make their views known regarding this planning application have until today (March 9) to do so.