Online retailer Ocado is facing criticism over its plans to build a ‘micro-fulfilment centre’ on a north London industrial estate located close to a primary school.
A planning application has been submitted to Islington Council to rearrange an existing warehouse’s outbuildings and car park at Bush Industrial Estate on Station Road in Archway to create space for general plant machinery, a diesel generator, three fuel pumps and associated fuel tank, as well as associated works in connection with the use of the existing building as an Ocado delivery warehouse.
However, parents and faculty of Yerbury Primary School, located adjacent to the site, have raised objections and garnered support from the Islington Labour Party, leading to a letter to the chief executive of Ocado co-signed by Labour leader and Islington MP Jeremy Corbin as well as Richard Watts, leader of Islington Council.
The letter, dated 19 December 2019, raises concerns regarding “health and safety, air quality and carbon emissions”, stating that “the new delivery hub would mean diesel vehicles travelling on the road along the primary school’s boundary wall between 10am and 4pm” which in turn “means that severely polluting vehicles would travel outside the school during both morning and afternoon break times, polluting the air that children are breathing in whist they are playing outside”.
The letter also states that the proposed hub is “strongly opposed” by the Islington Labour party and looks to effect a meeting with Ocado’s chief executive to discuss the concerns raised.
Islington Council leader Richard Watts said that Ocado would be “well-advised” to reconsider and come up with plan that was more agreeable to the community.
“Ocado has put in a planning application and that will be determined by the council planners in line with our planning procedures,” he said.
“However, it is astonishing that Ocado would seek to put a warehouse a few metres away from a school with new petrol pumps and a massive increase in heavy goods vehicles, emissions, extra pollution and damage to air quality.”
Watts added: “All the planning elements will get looked at with due process. From a child safety point of view and a pollution point of view, this is a completely inappropriate site for this proposed depot.”
A spokesperson for Ocado said: “We are aware of the concerns expressed by Richard Watts, leader of Islington Council, regarding the planning application we made in August for a new micro-fulfilment centre nearby to Yerbury Primary School in Tufnell Park.
“We are very sorry for the anxiety that the application process has caused and are addressing these concerns directly with the school and other stakeholders.”
Do you think Ocado should be granted planning permission to develop its proposed delivery warehouse at Bush Industrial Estate? Cast your vote in our reader poll on Twitter now: https://twitter.com/CiTTimagazine