Lidl has been ordered to pay more than £17,000 after South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted the discount supermarket chain for receiving out-of-hours deliveries in breach of planning conditions.
Appearing at Bristol Magistrates Court on March 17, Lidl pleaded guilty to breaching the conditions that state times where deliveries can be accepted at the store, which are in place to protect people living nearby. The store group was fined £14,500 and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and the council’s costs of £973.66, making a total of £17,473.66.
The court heard that the council’s planning enforcement team first received a complaint in May 2024 relating to deliveries to the store on Halls Road in Kingswood. Lidl was receiving deliveries at anti-social hours both late at night and early morning, causing disturbance to neighbouring households, which was in breach of their delivery hours conditions.
The store was contacted and advised to stick within the permitted hours. However, investigators found that they continued to breach these and receive deliveries at all hours.
A Breach of Condition Notice was then issued to ensure that the conditioned delivery hours were adhered to.
However, the council found that deliveries were still being made early on a Sunday morning, outside of the conditioned hours, so a prosecution case was taken forward.
Breaches can be reported at www.southglos.gov.uk/report email plannigenforcement@southglos.gov.uk or if the breach relates to an urgent matter by phone on 01454 868004.