DELIVERY OF GOODS IN BATH

Introduced by Paul Filer, Administative Manager, Future Publishing Ltd, on 10 February 1998

Future Publishing have an unusual company structure which leads to serious problems with the receipt, despatch and transfer of goods. This company is the biggest in central Bath with 750 employees and occupying 80,000 sq.ft of office space on eleven sites, having grown from one-man-in-his-spare-room in 12 years. This arrangement suits their philosophy, which is to set up small, semi-independent units each of which produces one of their wide range of magazines. Besides around 25 sacks from the Post Office each day they receive from firms examples of their products for review, varying from cake decorations through electronic equipment to mountain bikes and motor cycles. They then have to despatch magazines, exhibits for display at shows, returned review samples, and rubbish.
They have no control over when items will be delivered, unlike a national store with its own transport department, and as they work to deadlines for publication they need to get review samples promptly. So a lorry with a 30"-screen TV set or three motorcycles or a collection of cake decorations may arrive in Monmouth Street in the rush hour and have to be unloaded without blocking the road — which means blocking the cycle track! Then these items have to be taken to one of the eleven sites, Westgate Buildings, Trim Street, Palace Yard Mews.....and think of the route around the one-way system from Monmouth Street to Trim Street.
In spite of all these problems, they are convinced the multiple site arrangement is best; it gives them flexibility in space and suits their staff working in small groups.
They run three vans between sites and are next week opening a delivery warehouse at Locksbrook Road to prevent large lorries entering central Bath, but that involves expensive and extensive security measures there.
The proposed restriction on cross-city traffic in the City Centre Team's report may make more difficulties but Future Publishing want to stay in Bath and are prepared to spend a lot of money to overcome these problems, but they would appreciate it if the Council would cooperate with them; they objected to the cycle track across the front of their Monmouth Street premises, explaining about their unloading problem, but after a single day's visit (which happened to be a quiet day) their objection was dismissed.
A vigorous discussion covered a wide ground including commuter parking (Future charge the 30 employees who have parking spaces), the use of large lorries to deliver part loads, the right people to talk to in the Council, the effect of Spa and Southgate building work over the next few years, the need to consider individual cases not just 'large' and 'small' businesses, the lack of contact by the City Centre Team with Future Publishing.
The audience applauded Future Publishing on introducing the reception warehouse and hoped other firms would follow their example. They agreed that all road users had to contribute to solving the problems of Bath traffic, considered the Council had a key role to play in influencing the public and businesses in improving the situation and hoped that the City Centre Team was an indication of further action to do this.
Don Lovell