Loading and unloading: Understanding operational and legal conflicts

Grid Smarter Cities welcomes Brewery Logistics Group white paper

Grid Smarter Cities has welcomed the publication of the Brewery Logistics Group’s (BLG) new white paper.

Kerbside Delivery Operations and Problems Faced by the Brewery Logistics Sector shines a light on the complex legal, operational, and safety challenges faced by the brewery logistics sector when accessing urban kerbspace — including conflicts between health and safety obligations, parking restrictions, and local authority enforcement processes.

The White Paper's key points: 

• Purpose and scope: The White Paper explores the operational, legal, and safety issues in UK brewery logistics for urban pub and hospitality deliveries.  It aims to help local authorities better understand these challenges and develop a framework for safer, more efficient kerbside management.
• Core conflict identified: The industry operates under conflicting legal obligations — balancing compliance with Health and Safety legislation (which requires safe proximity to delivery points) and parking regulations (which often prohibit loading where safety demands it). This creates daily operational risk for drivers, operators, and the public.
• Impact on operations and welfare: Thousands of penalty charge notices (PCNs) are issued annually to brewery logistics operators due to inadequate loading provision. This contributes to driver stress, financial strain on operators, and potential non-compliance with health and safety or food hygiene laws.
• Existing solutions not fit for purpose: Temporary measures such as waivers and dispensations are administratively heavy, inconsistent between boroughs, and do not address the underlying lack of kerbside provision. Informal “light-touch” agreements exist with a few London boroughs, but these are limited in scope.

Neil Herron, chief executive officer and founder at Grid Smarter Cities, said: “The Brewery Logistics Group’s white paper brings valuable clarity to a long-standing issue that affects not only breweries but the wider freight and logistics community. Understanding these operational and legal conflicts is an essential first step toward creating safer, more efficient, and more compliant access to our urban kerbsides.”

Grid Smarter Cities continues to work with local authorities, logistics operators, and industry groups to explore how digital kerbside management tools can improve safety, compliance, and access for essential urban freight services, and recognising the importance of BLG’s work in quantifying the impact of kerbside access challenges. Data and collaboration will be key to developing practical solutions that support both operators and local authorities.