Correspondence with Tesco

Once I was able to identify a suitable contact within Tesco, here is the correspondence I have had.  I first wrote on 8th June and received a response - after some chasing - on 27th June
Dear Carol:

Attached is a photo that I took last Saturday, 2nd June, from a bus that was blocked by the congestion caused by the lorry delivering to Tesco. It was at least the third delivery lorry to Tesco that blocked traffic that morning. I also attach a photo that was taken on Thursday, 3rd May showing traffic congestion caused by the delivery lorry to Tesco.

Deliveries to that Tesco store cause traffic congestion throughout the day every day and affect all traffic and bus routes along the length of West End Lane. Since it opened, the traffic congestion caused by these deliveries is the largest cause of complaints that Ward Councillors receive from residents – in fact one residents’ association has threatened to organise a boycott against that store.

Residents are very angry that change of use permission was not required for the premises to change from furniture store to supermarket, a small site that lacks storage space, hence the need for frequent deliveries to replenish stock, and on a bend in the road that is hazardous for large delivery lorries to offload. Tesco appear to have done nothing to mitigate the inconvenience caused by their deliveries to local residents and traffic.

I have raised these issues with Camden Officers who claim that there is nothing the Council can do to stop your deliveries.

We receive no complaints about Sainsbury, who trade on the same block, who use their own small vans, not external suppliers, and only deliver in the early morning or mid evening when traffic is light and, as far as I am aware, cause no congestion. Why can’t Tesco operate in the same consumer friendly manner?

What is Tesco prepared to do to stop the traffic congestion it causes on West End Lane?



Dear Councillor Risso-Gill


Apologies for the delay in responding to you. I have forwarded your email onto our distribution manager. I have suggested another risk assessment be undertaken to look at the issues and discuss solutions. Matt Magee is now responsible for this area and he will contact you as soon as this assessment has been conducted.

Kind regards

Carol