Consultation is open from 3 August 2026 9:00am to 25 September 2026 5:00pm
Policy I/SD: Servicing and last-mile deliveries
1. All developments that generate freight and delivery movements must include adequate provisions for servicing appropriate to the scale, form and location of the proposal, including provision for commercial vehicles to park and turn safely within the development with on-street parking bays only being used where this is not possible. Where on-street loading bays are proposed, this must avoid causing illegal or dangerous parking.
2. Where the delivery and/or servicing operations and requirements for the site have the potential to negatively impact highway safety and/or the road network, a Delivery and Servicing Plan will be required to demonstrate how such impacts will be mitigated. Alternative delivery and servicing practices and emerging technologies should be incorporated into development proposals wherever practicable, prioritising measures that support emission reductions, including: use of existing or provision of new micro-consolidation centres; re-timing of deliveries; smart or joint procurement measures; cargo bikes, cycle freight, electric and low or zero-emission vehicles (including associated electric vehicle charging facilities); and delivery lockers in residential developments.
3. Proposals for new or enhanced micro-consolidation centres will be supported in principle where they will serve local areas that have an identifiable need, provided that they:
a. Do not cause unacceptable impacts on Greater Cambridge’s strategic road networks;
b. Reduce road danger, noise and emissions from freight trips; and
c. Enable sustainable last-mile movements, including by cycle, electric vehicles and/or innovative delivery solutions.
4. Proposals for any new industrial and distribution centres that will generate significant freight traffic must provide sufficient facilities for long-term and overnight lorry parking.
Supporting information
10.39. Development proposals should facilitate safe, clean, and efficient deliveries and servicing to minimise impacts on the amenity of neighbours, the environment, and the safety of the highways network. These considerations should be integrated into the design of any development at an early stage, including any servicing and delivery routes needed to serve the development, accounting for any location-specific considerations that may give rise to heightened safety risks such as schools or active travel routes.
10.40. Growth in the demand for home deliveries increased during the COVID-19 Pandemic following the surge in online ordering. The resulting, sustained rise in deliveries generated a greater number of vehicle movements to homes and businesses across the UK. In built-up areas like Cambridge, this can add to vehicle congestion, impact negatively on air quality, and create conflicts between freight movement operations and vulnerable road users. In considering delivery and servicing arrangements for a proposed development, applicants should prioritise measures that make a positive contribution to climate change mitigation and emissions reductions, in line with the wider strategic objectives for the Local Plan.
10.41. Micro-consolidation centres (sometimes called last-mile hubs) are an alternative delivery and servicing practice that can help to mitigate the negative impacts of increased delivery movements. They are small-scale facilities, located within or close to urban or neighbourhood centres, where parcels and other orders can be grouped before they are delivered to their final destination. Micro-consolidation centres help to reduce the number of separate, individual deliveries that are made to homes and businesses. Their location means that last-mile trips in the delivery chain can be made in a more sustainable, less impactful manner, for example, using cargo bikes or electric vans for bulkier goods. Micro-consolidation centres can also help to ensure that deliveries are targeted at off-peak travel periods, thereby further helping to reduce traffic congestion during peak travel periods.
10.42. Other innovative and flexible solutions to local delivery needs and last-mile logistics should be incorporated into development proposals wherever practicable. Digital and online infrastructure can support better management of delivery timing and vehicle movements. Future proofing consolidation facilities will also help to facilitate the integration of technological improvements such as the use of drones and autonomous delivery vehicles.
10.43. Delivery and Servicing Plans will help to ensure that an appropriate strategy is in place for delivery and servicing operations to be undertaken safely and without significant detriment to local communities and the environment – these should be incorporated into a Travel Plan where they are required, and should align with any Transport Assessment or Transport Statement prepared for the proposal, in line with Policy I/ST: Sustainable transport and connectivity. Delivery and Servicing Plans will typically include:
- The physical design and layout of the site, and how it provides adequate provision for delivery and servicing activity from the commencement of the site’s use;
- The day-to-day policies and measures that will be implemented so that deliveries and servicing are appropriately managed, and how the local disruption and environmental impacts of that activity will be minimised over time. It should set appropriate targets for continuous improvement; and
- The forecast trip rates for the site.
10.44. Planning conditions and planning obligations will be used to help secure and enforce appropriate arrangements.
Tell us what you think
For further guidance on how to submit comments, please see the Representation Guidance Note.
All comments must be received by 25 September 2026 at 5pm.