An application to revise on-site parking at the Royal Mail delivery office in Bury St Edmunds is now in the public domain.
A proposal has been submitted by Richard Parker, of Northern Property Consortium, to vary a condition of the approved 2005 scheme for the delivery office, in Skyliner Way, Moreton Hall.
As per the original approval, there were 36 dedicated staff parking spaces, but this application seeks permission to remove these due to the current operational needs of the delivery office, including the provision of electric vehicles, and delivery methods.
In October, West Suffolk Council, the local planning authority, served a breach of condition notice on Royal Mail, giving it until November 27 to stop parking fleet and commercial vehicles in an area it has designated under a planning condition for use as private car parking.
A failure to comply is a criminal offence and could result in court proceedings and a fine.
Towards the end of last year, the postal business banned workers from leaving their own vehicles in the on-site car park; a move which nearby residents say has had a negative impact on them due to increased parking in their roads.
A design and access statement with the application, submitted on behalf of Royal Mail, said: “The loss of staff parking spaces is offset by an overall increase in total parking provision. In addition, staff will rotate the use of fleet vehicle parking spaces with their personal vehicles.”
The plans show a revised on-site parking layout, which allows for increased bay widths to existing spaces so that EV (electric vehicle) charging is safe for use, along with the creation of additional bays.
To accommodate the works, it is proposed to remove vegetation from areas surrounding the existing car park.
An arboricultural report recommends that several trees are felled, including a number that are subject to Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs). These include a Myrobalan plum tree that is described as in a ‘poor condition’, two dead Pedunculate oaks and a large ash in poor condition.
The report said: “Trees likely to be impacted by the works are covered by Tree Preservation Orders, and therefore close consultation is required with the LPA [local planning authority] to check whether a formal application for any of the works to the protected trees is required.
“Most of the vegetation to be removed is of low quality.”
The design and access statement says the postal staff work a range of shift patterns and typically, between the hours of 2pm and 8am, Royal Mail fleet vehicles will be parked on site for security purposes and to receive EV charging when not in use.
It added: “The scheme includes more delivery vehicle spaces, at the expense of some staff/customer parking. Walkways have also been denoted behind delivery spaces to aid with van loading and yard health and safety compliance.”
Royal Mail has embarked on a programme of replacing its vehicle fleet with electric vehicles with a target that all delivery vehicles will be zero emissions by 2035 and all company cars will be zero emissions by 2030.
The company said minimal updates were required to the parking layout to accommodate the evolving size and number of vehicles.
“The revised layout for the Bury St Edmunds site allows for future provision whilst also ensuring the yard is safe from a health and safety point of view whilst maintaining the principle of the original approval,” it said.