Amazon’s £40bn plans to build new fulfilment centres will put too much strain on an already creaking HGV parking system and urgent ministerial action is now required, according to a transport insurance broker.
The online giant said last week the investment plans demonstrated its commitment to supporting growth and productivity in the UK – but concerns are growing that too little is being done to respond to the post-pandemic boom in e-commerce.
Two fulfilment centres will open in Hull and Northampton over the next 12 months and two more are now due to be completed in the East Midlands in 2027.
However, McCarron Coates said England alone is already around 4,000 lorry parking places short, despite a recent £13m investment in HGV facilities.
And it described Amazon’s plans to create more distribution centres without any additional parking infrastructure in place as akin to building hundreds of houses without any school capacity nearby.
It said it wants to see the government doing more than applauding Amazon’s decision and invest in the parking infrastructure that will now be required.
McCarron Coates director Ian McCarron said: “Things are only going to get worse, unless someone takes swift action.
“We have already allowed huge distribution centres to be built and seen a huge boom in demand for home deliveries, but have failed to recognise that associated lorry parking facilities are also required.
“The latest news about new Amazon facilities is great news, on the one hand, but the government needs to step up and recognise this will inevitably mean more HGVs looking for safe and secure parking facilities overnight and when needing to stop for breaks.”
Fellow director Paul Coates said the more distribution centres that are built, the harder it would become for lorry drivers to find anywhere to park overnight, which will have a knock-on effect for local residents and non-compliance with driving hours.
“We need the government to plan ahead and make provision for HGV parking now, before these new centres are built,” he said.
“It’s time for HGV drivers’ needs to become a top priority and be considered within planning decisions.
“Alongside this, HGV drivers need to be better protected when it comes to criminal activity.”
This week, the RHA urged hauliers to lobby their MP and encourage them to support the creation of a specific freight crime code to help police target hotspots.
