The Hague is the first Dutch municipality to amend its zoning plans so that new flash delivery services can no longer establish themselves in shopping areas in The Hague. The municipality prefers to see this activity with many transport movements at suitable locations such as through roads and business locations.
Flash delivery services deliver groceries to their customers who order online. They do this from small-scale distribution centers by electric bicycle or scooter. This service requires space for storage and causes many transport movements. The amended zoning plans must ensure that future locations of speed camera delivery companies take place outside the shopping areas. By specifically naming this industry in the zoning plans, the municipality ensures that speed cameras are not allowed in the shopping areas.
“We see that residents of The Hague also order groceries from speed cameras, but the shopping areas do not match the many transport movements and the business operations of these services. We also regularly receive complaints about noise pollution and delivery drivers who park their scooter, bicycle or (truck) car incorrectly. The enforcers address the nuisance causes. There is contact with the speed cameras, so that the municipality and the speed cameras can quickly find each other in the event of a nuisance. This tailor-made approach provides clarity and ensures that new speed cameras only settle in locations that are suitable for this, outside the shopping streets and residential areas.”
Maintain the appearance of shopping streets
With this new policy, the municipality wants to keep the shopping areas as a place for retail and catering, with attractive shop windows that invite people to enter. The warehouses of speed cameras, the means of transport and movements do not fit into the street scene that the municipality wants to radiate, according to the municipality The Hague.
The flash deliverers are innovative entrepreneurs who meet a need. But by banning new branches of these companies in the main retail structure in The Hague and adjusting the associated fifty zoning plans, the municipality has more control over the locations of future branches. In this way we ensure that it remains pleasant to live in The Hague.”
