• This is an issue I've come across a few times. Whether or not a planning application is required depends largely on whether there's a change of use or any kind of alteration to a building associated with it. As the large building this shop is in probably simply had some kind of mixture of 'A' uses (see a full list here) approved on the ground floor. This might have been before it was known that Tesco would be a tenant, and even if that had been known, the planning process might not have picked up the issue of Tesco's delivery practices.

    Needless to say, as in most modern buildings with a large footprint, especially one located on two major strategic routes, there should have been some rear access for this, but it appears that none was provided. There is some rear access servicing to the Ibis Hotel next door in Pomell Way, but my impression is that these are separate buildings, and that there is none to the building Tesco is in, Tyne Street being much too narrow, of course. Looking back on Google StreetView's useful history feature, it seems that the Tesco was in there from the building's completion, and that there were never any loading bays for the new building. That's fine, in a sense--as far as I know, there's no obligation on authorities to provide such facilities for shops.

    The problem of Tesco's tactics in forcing authorities to provide them (hitting them where they're most sensitive, by impeding traffic flow) is compounded by their insistence on using large articulated lorries to deliver even to smaller shops. One scheme that's been planned on the A10 Kingsland Road at the junctions with Stamford Road and Tottenham Road is to provide a full-length loading bay by closing the aforementioned two junctions (retaining cycle access and getting rid of the stupid central island that was put in during the Dalston development of the failed bus station years ago, but still not a good scheme at all), because the relatively new Tesco Metro nearby had had its delivery lorries parked there in a smaller though legit 20-minute loading bay for a long time (someone told me a few years ago how long they usually take, but I can't remember; I think it's often for longer than 20 minutes). There's a different situation at Clapton Pond, where there's a Tesco Metro next to Palm 2. When the loading bay there has been full, I've seen Tesco lorries wait for at least ten minutes (then I really had to go) on the double red lines north of the loading bay. I'm sure others could add examples from all over the place, those are just two I've seen.

    Unfortunately, I think that there aren't really any powers under traffic legislation to take very effective enforcement action against this kind of behaviour. IANAL so that may be nonsense, and perhaps there are powers in other areas of law.

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