Published: Thursday, 6th August, 2009 5:00am

Tesco loading bay plan

THE row over the location of a Tesco Express store on a busy Reading street intensified this week when the company uneviled plans to build a loading bay.

Supermarket bosses hope to build a drop-off point cutting into the pavement in Crown Street.

Currently, lorries are supposed to park in London Street or use the shop's underground drop-off area, but neighbours have complained about delivery noise and vans parking on the pavement in Crown Street to save time.

Jagjit Dhothar, whose brother runs the Londis convenience store opposite Tesco, said a new delivery bay would be "an unfair advantage" and said: "Surely it was known to Tesco that loading and deliveries would become an issue on this junction."

The building was last used by fancy dress store Fun 'n' Frolic, which meant Tesco did not need planning permission to open in January.

Katesgrove councillor Gareth Epps said: "Some local residents have been regularly woken up by Tesco rolling their pallet trucks up and down London Street, which is paved, and making an awful racket.

"All of these difficulties are a result of Tesco not doing its homework before it chose the Crown Street location. Why it didn't find a location where there was clear, dedicated space to load and unload that wasn't a nuisance to local residents is beyond me."

Tesco spokeswoman Juliette Bishop said the store had asked for the loading bay before opening and said: "At the moment we are delivering the only place we can but obviously it is causing some difficulties for some people. We are hoping the loading bay will be added early this autumn."

Reading Borough Council spokesman Chris Branagan said the council was talking to Tesco about a solution to the noise and delivery problems.

He said: "This may include the installation of a limited time loading bay close to the premises, wholly at Tesco's expense."

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