Winchester to trial innovative parcel delivery hub at Friarsgate Car Park

Work will begin at Friarsgate Car Park in Winchester on a new sustainable parcel delivery hub, led by Solent Transport in partnership with Winchester City Council and Decarbon Logistics Solutions (a Volofleet Portfolio Company).

The hub is part of a 12-month trial to test whether switching from vans to electric cargo bikes for local deliveries can cut congestion on Winchester’s narrow streets, improve air quality in the city centre, and support the city’s ambitions for a greener future. While it will trial an alternative way of making deliveries for businesses, it will not completely replace the existing methods and will not function as a parcel drop-off point for sending parcels.

The lower deck of Friarsgate Car Park will be closed during the construction of the hub for approximately two weeks, but the upper deck will continue to operate as normal.

Under the scheme, parcels will be delivered to the hub by vans, then transferred to electric cargo bikes for the final leg of their journey to homes and small businesses. The hub will occupy just 14 parking spaces at Friarsgate Car Park. 58 public spaces will remain available for residents and visitors throughout the trial. The facility will include secure storage and charging stations for up to 10 electric cargo bikes, unloading areas for delivery vans, and welfare facilities for staff.

Councillor Kelsie Learney, Cabinet Member for the Climate and Nature Emergency, said, “The parcel delivery hub project is an exciting step towards making our air less polluted and our roads less congested, while still ensuring residents and businesses can efficiently receive deliveries. Trialling better ways of moving goods in the City Centre is one of the ways in which we can go greener faster and help shape a healthier and more sustainable Winchester.”

This initiative forms part of the Department for Transport-funded Solent Future Transport Zone programme. The Winchester hub will act as a testbed for low-carbon delivery solutions that could be rolled out more widely across the Solent region. The University of Portsmouth will support the project by monitoring its environmental and operational benefits.

The hub is expected to launch in November. Residents will continue to be informed of progress and any temporary disruptions during the construction. When the hub is operating, residents and businesses should continue to contact their retailer if they have any issues with deliveries.

At the end of the trial, the hub will be removed and the car park will be restored to its original condition. Lessons learned will be reported to the Department for Transport and used to inform how similar projects might be implemented in Winchester in future.

More about Solent Transport here: https://solent-transport.com/