Update on Sainsbury's Local

For the background to this update, please click here.

On 8th July, we held a second meeting with the manager of the Hampton Wick branch of Sainsbury’s Local. The new manager is Anatolii Kucherhin who took over earlier this year.

The significant issues discussed were:

- Illuminated signage (lights shine into the eyes of pedestrians and motorists, and the lights are on 24/7)

- Starting to use Hampton Wick High Street branch to fulfil Deliveroo, Uber Eats etc home delivery services instead of just having home deliveries sourced from Sury Basin in Kingston

- Possible conversion of a parking bay to a part-time (10am to 3pm) loading bay for deliveries to the store

Following the meeting and further debate by the HWA committee, we wrote to Anatolii to confirm our position as follows:

1. Illuminated signs. It’s great to hear that these are going to be altered so that they no longer shine into the eyes of pedestrians and motorists. You said you would be able to control the timing of the lights directly from the store, and we agreed that the lights should be on only when the store is open and it is dark.

2. Uber, Deliveroo etc. At the meeting, we undertook to discuss this further amongst ourselves and to come back to you. We have now debated this, and our feeling remains that we do not want to see these services being fulfilled from the Hampton Wick branch.

To start using the local branch as the collection point, instead of Sury Basin or Teddington, can only increase the number of e-bike delivery riders arriving, parking and leaving from that already congested part of the High Street, where the pavements are narrow. Furthermore, there is widespread concern amongst members of the public about delivery drivers using illegal e-bikes and driving carelessly and even dangerously. This subject comes up frequently at local Police Liaison Group meetings. It is not your fault that the delivery drivers are irresponsible / illegal, but we cannot support any initiative that is likely to increase the incidence of these problems in our High Street.

If you have the opportunity to give feedback to your head office, we strongly suggest that Sainsbury’s, at a senior level and possibly together with other major retailers, puts pressure on Uber, Deliveroo etc to improve their standards in this area.

3. Parking Bay outside the store. We can see both pros and cons to your idea of designating this as a Loading Bay between the hours of 10am and 3pm. On one hand, it would be a loss of a parking space, but on the other hand it does clarify the hours when most of your deliveries should be take place (with exceptions for bread and newspapers) and where the vans should park. There is also relatively less pressure on parking in the middle of the day than, say, in the evenings.
Therefore, we don’t have a strong view on this matter and agree that you should take it up with the council and local councillors for their views.

If you have any issues you would like us to raise at our next meeting with Sainsbury’s, please contact us on info@hamptonwick.org.uk or write to the local councillors.