A BUDGET supermarket has been allowed to open for longer, but been barred fromaccepting later deliveries due to concerns about noisy lorries.

Aldi, in London Road, Westcliff, had asked Southend Council to let it open from 8am to 11pm daily and extend delivery times to 7am until 10pm on Monday to Saturday.

At the moment, the supermarket opens from 8am to 9pm and takes deliveries from 7am until 9pm on Monday to Saturday and 8am until 5pm on Sunday.

Members of the council’s development and control committee said on Wednesday that the store could open for the extra two hours, but couldn’t take the extra hour of deliveries.

Councillor Stephen Habermel (Conservative, Chalkwell) said: “I think extending the opening hours would bring it into line with other stores.

“The car park does back on to homes in Chalkwell Avenue and Imperial Avenue and deliveries are noisy for residents.”

Fellow committee member David Gartson (Conservative, Chalkwell) agreed. He said when he recently visited the store, a delivery lorry was blocking other traffic from getting in or out of the car park for a long time.

He said: “When it reversed into the loading bay, there was a constant bleep, bleep, bleep, which was very noisy and that must drive the residents crazy.”

The car park has an acoustic fence, designed to minimise disturbances, but whether it was high enough to keep out the noise of high-sided lorries was questioned by Chris Walker (Conservative, Eastwood Park).

The committee unanimously agreed to allow the longer opening hours and reject the longer delivery hours.