COUNCILLORS have given their support to the Waitrose store in Wellington being allowed to extend its delivery hours during December.

Store bosses have applied to Somerset Council for permission to extend the permitted delivery hours between December 1 to 24 each year.

Delivery hours at the store in Red Lion Court, off the High Street, are from 7am to 11pm, but Waitrose wants to extend that during the busy period up to Christmas to 5am to midnight.

“The application is intended to allow Waitrose to temporarily receive HGV deliveries for a longer period during the busy festive period when demand for stock is at its peak,” said a spokesperson for Waitrose. “The efficient flow of stock through the business is necessary to ensure the store can offer the full range of goods expected by Waitrose customers at this important time of year.”

The spokesperson added: “The delivery extension is only requested on annual basis between December 1-24. The remainder of the year, the existing delivery window will remain unchanged.”

The matter was discussed on Monday (April 13) by members of Wellington Town Council.

Cllr John Thorne said: “I do not want to sound like the Christmas Grinch, but we should oppose this.”

Cllr Thorne said he was concerned about the unwanted noise which would be generated by the delivery lorries at 5am for people living near Waitrose.

“I think it is very inconsiderate of them to ask for this when they know they have elderly people living nearby,” he said. “Five o’clock in the morning is just far too early.

“If they can’t make the deliveries they need between 7am and 11pm – it’s tough. I do not have any sympathy for them.”

He warned that if Waitrose got permission to extend the delivery hours in December, it would not be long before the store was asking to do the same at other times of the year.

Cllr Keith Wheatley said that the “small cluster of homes” behind Waitrose had been built on the edge of an industrial estate and that people had “chosen to buy them” knowing where they were sited.

Cllr Andrew Govier said: “Waitrose is an important employer in the town and the store does bring people into Wellington.

“If they were asking for extended delivery hours during the summer when people leave their windows open during the night, then I would understand the concerns. But they are asking for the extra time during the busy run-up to Christmas – I think this is a reasonable compromise.”

Cllr Mike McGuffie added: “I’d agree with Cllr Thorne and oppose this because of the residents.”

Cllr Justin Cole said he was concerned about the noisy refrigerated lorries rumbling into the Waitrose delivery yard at 5am each morning.

“The refrigerated lorries do make a right racket,” he said. “Perhaps we could support the application, but ask Waitrose to not allow those refrigerated lorries early in the morning?”

Councillors voted in support of the application – although a final decision rests with Somerset Council.