New supermarket without cycle parking

[661-Pete]

This store - a Co-op, a bit larger than a convenience store but smaller than a full-blown supermarket - we just found out about a few days ago, though it's been up and running for about 3 months now. At around half a mile from our house, it would become our nearest shop for groceries etc. So we checked it out.

But it has no cycle racks or anywhere to park a bicycle securely.

It's been built in the middle of a new - and controversial - housing estate: one of many which are springing up in our town and surroundings. Presumably to serve principally the residents of that estate - but there's no reason why people from further afield shouldn't patronise it. Especially if they come by bike - after all we do most of our shopping by bike.

So I worded a mild complaint on the Co-op's website - and yesterday I got a phone call from someone at the Co-op's head office (not a local number). A phone call, mark you, not an E-mail - was this to avoid my having a hard copy of something I could then make use of? Anyway, the caller was, as expected, apologetic and condescending, he said it was down to the site developers, not the Co-op.

Is this worth following up? Or shall we shrug our shoulders and continue to do our shopping at the nearest Waitrose, Lidl and Tesco's - all by bike?

[Oldjohnw]

My nearest Aldi has no bike racks or indeed anything to which a bike can be fastened. Neither does Morrisons nor Aldi. Tesco does.

[Graham]

Is it worth a moan to the local council ? and local cycle campaigners ?

Did the planning permission show/state anything about cycle parking ?

That might end up as a quick win for those who tick boxes ( unless it results in a wheelbreaker . . . which is WORSE than nothing ).

Is there REALLY nowhere to stand a locked bike ? I can always find somewhere.

[yakdiver]

Both my small co-ops have no cycle parking, one has some railing near by you could use

[mjr]

Is it worth a moan to the local council ? and local cycle campaigners ?

Generally, yes to both. I'd also complain, in writing, to the store manager and - in the case of a co-op - to any elected member you can find.

Did the planning permission show/state anything about cycle parking ?

Great idea - check this on your borough or district council website. Usually there is a condition in the permission notice about conforming with parking standards (which should mention cycle parking as well as car parking) and/or parking being approved by a council officer.

Sometimes a formal approval letter will be filed alongside the planning permission but often there is a delay of months or years before it is formally approved. In the meantime, if there is a requirement for cycle parking, you can report it being absent as a problem requiring enforcement - they should do it anyway, but actually reporting it seems to bump it up the list a bit.

That might end up as a quick win for those who tick boxes ( unless it results in a wheelbreaker . . . which is WORSE than nothing ).

Wheelbreakers, ground slots and dog rings are now not recognised by our local parking standards. It's worth keeping an eye out for any consultations on parking standards and local transport plans just to get the A-shaped "Sheffield Extra" parking stands defined as standards. I don't think we've had much trouble with wheelbreakers or the wierd and wonderfuls like Waves and Austrian Singles since then, except for the recent boom in double-deck racks at stations and flaming Tesco with its mix of kiddie-sized ones (I bet the council officer didn't check the heights) and novelty shapes.

Is there REALLY nowhere to stand a locked bike ? I can always find somewhere.

It sometimes depends how much you care about people hitting your bike with trollies...

[661-Pete]

Is it worth a moan to the local council ?

Part of the local council is Mrs P - who was with me when we made this discovery. But she's got far too much else to worry about...

Is there REALLY nowhere to stand a locked bike ? I can always find somewhere.

There may be. We just had a quick look on our way to somewhere else - weren't planning to stop there. If the weather permits I'll have another look in the next day or two. Might even go there and buy something - Mrs P is short of one or two ingredients for tomorrow's din-dins.

But as a matter of general principle, builders of new developments - and retailers who occupy those new developments - ought to be taking steps to encourage cycling. Sadly that appears not to be the case on this estate - but I may be wrong. I've not yet explored the rest of it so I don't know how cycle-friendly - or cycle-unfriendly - it is.

Incidentally, looking at some of the replies above, I realise that we're pretty lucky - spoilt even! Of the three other local supermarkets I mentioned, Waitrose and Lidl (which is also a new build) have excellent sets of Sheffield stands. Tesco's is slightly less well provided: they have stands which are a bit too low to be properly called Sheffields. But at least a bike can be securely locked to them.

Ideally, every supermarket in the land ought to be so provided. This would work wonders in encouraging cycle-shopping!

[mjr]

Anyway, the caller was, as expected, apologetic and condescending, he said it was down to the site developers, not the Co-op.

Is this worth following up? Or shall we shrug our shoulders and continue to do our shopping at the nearest Waitrose, Lidl and Tesco's - all by bike?

By the way, there may be a grain of truth in it, especially with a new development, that it's down to the site developers for a while and the co-op can't go around installing their own hardware without the developer approving - and the developer will usually reject any diverging from the approved plan and risking their planning permission... but the co-op should at least ask and it would be a very stupid planning authority that quibbled about too much support for active travel. And there's no excuse for someone probably from the property/estates department being condescending but that does seem to be a bit of a feature of them in my experience, along with always being ready to justify why nothing can be done more sustainably before

[ratherbeintobago]

I’d have thought the Co-op would be quite pro sustainable transport?

[Mike Sales]

I’d have thought the Co-op would be quite pro sustainable transport?

The new Lincolnshire Co-op in the village where I live has Sheffield stands.

[PH]

My nearest Aldi has no bike racks

I'm surprised. All the Aldi stores round here have large bike parking areas, where else would they have for all the pallets, cages and trolleys of plants, outdoor tat, barbecue stuff, sledges & snow shovels, Christmas trees...

[hemo]

My local lidl 15 min walk or as I prefer a 3 or 4 min cycle has no dedicated cycle parking nor does the Iceland next door so I chain it to their display board. A newish built Ex Morrisons has facilities in town, rumour in local rag is Aldi may be about to utilise it.

Lidl and the like are very competitive and a damn site cheaper then the big four, 12 items in Sainsbury's cost me £18 the same equivalent twelve in Lidl £8.52.

[mjr]

Lidl and the like are very competitive and a damn site cheaper then the big four, 12 items in Sainsbury's cost me £18 the same equivalent twelve in Lidl £8.52.

But the discounters rarely have all the items on a shopping list, so you lose that £9.50 worth in time travelling to and walking round a second shop.

Lidl here have bike parking but it's by a door not used by customers (and plans shouldn't have been approved as soon as it became clear that was so), so most people lock to the fences by the doors that are used. Aldi has proper racks. Iceland have nothing, avoiding the current planning rules by taking over a 1980s unit and doing minimal changes not needing approval.

[carpetcleaner]

The Co-op does its bit for the environment by charging very high prices meaning anyone who shops there regularly probably can't afford much travelling or consumption of consumer goods.

None of the three Co-ops near me has cycle parking, but neither do most of the smaller shops of all brands except Tesco which does.

All my local larger supermarkets, Tesco, Sainsburys, Aldi, Asda and Waitrose have good cycle parking and when Lidl arrives soon I hope it follows suit.

There cannot be much demand for cycle parking at smaller shops. When I shop at the huge Tesco in my town my bike is usually the only one in the bike racks. Maybe that's why smaller shops don't bother and just let cyclists take their bikes inside the shop, as all my local ones do.

[The utility cyclist]

My nearest Aldi has no bike racks or indeed anything to which a bike can be fastened. Neither does Morrisons nor Aldi. Tesco does.

Opposite for me, the newly opened Aldi near me has them but are out the way, LIDL has them, Saisbuty's has a couple, Morrisons has quite a few, the massive Tesco has zero racks.

[Oldjohnw]

My nearest Aldi has no bike racks or indeed anything to which a bike can be fastened. Neither does Morrisons nor Aldi. Tesco does.

Opposite for me, the newly opened Aldi near me has them but are out the way, LIDL has them, Saisbuty's has a couple, Morrisons has quite a few, the massive Tesco has zero racks.

Tesco is the only store with racks near me - and my bike is usually the only bike.