Winchester to Trial Innovative Parcel Delivery Hub at Friarsgate Car Park
Work is beginning at Friarsgate Car Park, on 7 October, on a new sustainable parcel delivery hub that will test whether switching from vans to electric cargo bikes for the last leg of deliveries into the city can cut congestion on Winchester’s narrow streets, improve air quality in the city centre, and support the city’s ambitions for a greener future.
The project, which is aimed at businesses, will see parcels delivered to the hub by vans, then transferred to electric cargo bikes for the final leg of their journey to homes and small businesses. The hub will occupy just 14 parking spaces at Friarsgate Car Park. 58 public spaces will remain available for residents and visitors throughout the trial. The facility will include secure storage and charging stations for up to 10 electric cargo bikes, unloading areas for delivery vans, and welfare facilities for staff.
This initiative forms part of the Department for Transport-funded Solent Future Transport Zone programme. It supports the council’s aim of reducing the impact of freight deliveries on the city centre, as outlined in the Winchester Movement Strategy, adopted jointly by Winchester City Council and Hampshire County Council in 2019.
The hub is expected to launch in November, as part of a 12-month trial led by Solent Transport in partnership with Winchester City Council and Decarbon Logistics Solutions (a Volofleet Portfolio Company). The University of Portsmouth will support the project by monitoring its environmental and operational benefits and lessons learned from the trial will be reported to the Department for Transport and used to inform the implementation of a permanent hub in Winchester.
Councillor Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for the Climate and Nature Emergency at Winchester City Council, said, “The Parcel Delivery Hub project is an exciting step towards making our air less polluted and our roads less congested, while still ensuring residents and businesses can efficiently receive deliveries. Trialling better ways of moving goods in the City Centre is one of the ways in which we can go greener faster and help shape a healthier and more sustainable Winchester.”