The signs state the lockers have been installed 'without consent'
Two 'parcel hubs' installed in Darwen without permission from highways bosses must be removed "within 24 hours".
The two lockers, placed outside the One Stop convenience store in Railway Road, have been installed "without consent or license" according to notices attached to the hubs by officers from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. The signs state that the lockers have been "deposited on highways to be a nuisance".
The demand for the lockers to be removed is authorised by Section 149 of the Highways Act 1980 which states: "If any thing is so deposited on a highway as to constitute a nuisance, the highway authority for the highway may by notice require the person who deposited it there to remove it forthwith and if he fails to comply with the notice the authority may make a complaint to a magistrates' court for a removal and disposal order under this section."
The hubs are advertised with various parcel delivery firms, including Royal Mail, DPD and Evri. However, LancsLive understands that the lockers are installed and managed by a third party.
LancsLive approached DPD, Royal Mail and Evri regarding the lockers and the legality of their placement. They advised that the hubs are managed by InPost. LancsLive also contacted Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. We also attempted to contact Quadient which owns the lockers.
A spokesperson for InPost said: "Thanks for your enquiry. Unfortunately, this isn't information we're able to disclose."
