Many new housing developments risk being unfit for modern life with no consideration of how delivery drivers are meant to do their jobs, logistics experts have warned.
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) said there was a growing gap between how developments are designed and how people actually live.
It said there needed to be a fundamental shift in the approach to house building and that both logistics and public transport are considered from the outset.
It said the volume of home deliveries had surged but that from high-rise flats to new homes in rural communities, there was not enough consideration given to how goods and people move.
The CILT said it wanted the inclusion of designated delivery and loading areas in all new developments and safe, practical access for couriers to reduce disruption, congestion and improve efficiency.
Iain Wainwright, CILT freight and logistics policy group vice chair, said: “Delivery drivers are essential to keeping the economy moving, yet too often they are left without safe or suitable places to stop.
“At the same time, failing to integrate public transport from the outset risks creating communities that are car-dependent and less sustainable.
“These are not future challenges - they are happening now, and they must be addressed at the planning stage.”
