AN APPLICATION to remove conditions for an Asda store allowing it to make deliveries 24/7 has sparked controversy.
The supermarket submitted an application on June 6 to remove a condition of planning permission that would allow it to make 24-hour deliveries to and from the Andover site.
The company was granted planning permission on February 21, 2006, to build the superstore, subject to conditions.
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(Image: Google) One of these conditions restricts the hours of operation of the service yard and loading area, meaning no deliveries can be made between 10pm and 7am from Monday to Saturday, and 6pm to 8am on Sundays and public holidays.
Asda then submitted a planning application in November 2020, to remove the condition, however, it withdrew the application in January 2021.
The supermarket received 24-hour deliveries in 2020 after the Government automatically extended delivery hours for supermarkets to support the industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the application, it states that the 24 hours of operation have continued since 2020, but during the night 'remain irregular and occur on an ad hoc basis'.
It added: "The 24 hour delivery operation has been important in order to meet both deliveries in store to ensure products can be maintained in stock for shoppers at the store, and the demand for home deliveries can be met."
However, the application has received criticism from residents who have raised concerns about noise levels and issues with parking.
Reena Nijjar, an Andover resident, said there are 'significant concerns regarding parking'. She added: "Lorries frequently park on the road leading to the delivery gate, creating safety hazards for pedestrians crossing the road.
"This issue, prevalent during the day, is likely to persist at night."
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Another said: "I walk past the rear entrance of Asda between 5:30am and 6am most mornings and I can assure you the noise levels are very high with lorries waiting to go in and sitting with their engines running, let alone the activity in the rest of the area to the rear shop."
Resident Martin Hallett raised objections, saying: "The noise from those deliveries will be disturbing to those people in neighbouring properties who are trying to sleep."
In the application, Asda said that the store's service yard is 'of a modern design' and is covered 'to reduce the breakout of noise' in addition to 'thick vegetation and fencing' to reduce noise.
The application can be viewed on the Test Valley Borough Council planning portal, at 24/01310/VARN.
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