Environment Sustainable Distribution Centre
Public vote of confidence
Southampton’s new Sustainable Distribution Centre – operated by Meachers Global Logistics – is being used by two public sector bodies for both warehousing and delivery solutions.
S
outhampton City Council’s Corporate Records Management Department and Southampton General Hospital are set to
take advantage of the recently launched Sustainable Distribution Centre (SDC), which provides innovative storage and last-mile delivery solutions. Southampton-based Meachers Global Logistics operates the state-of-the-art 2,000 sq m premises, which is based at the town’s Nursling Industrial Estate. The four-year Corporate Records Management Department contract provides Southampton City Council with initial storage for 300 pallets through the consolidation of items that were stored in five separate units across the city into one central location. By using the SDC, the council is expected to make financial savings in excess of £40,000 over a four-year period by reducing fixed overhead costs and improving storage and retrieval procedures by using new barcoding technology.
CHANGING NEEDS
Frank Baxter, head of Transport, Highways and Parking, Southampton City Council, said: “In a move to become more efficient and lean, it is Southampton City Council’s intention to use the space we have most effectively, which means looking carefully at our storage requirements. The SDC enables us to manage our storage requirements more efficiently and effectively through providing cheap flexible storage options that can be built around our changing needs.” Southampton General Hospital has also started piloting usage of the SDC. It currently occupies 160 sq m of warehouse space, which is being used to store
62 September 2014
www.shdlogistics.com
an assortment of non-essential items from furniture through to drip stands. Gary Whittle, commercial director at Meachers Global Logistics, commented: “The SDC provides smart storage and delivery solutions for public sector organisations like the council and hospital. Goods are grouped and stored on the edge of town and delivered on a demand basis by light goods vehicles, which help to improve traffic flow and enhance air quality.” The SDC operates across the Solent region, including the Isle of Wight. Deliveries are received and stored or grouped with other loads destined for the same locations, and delivered together, thus reducing the number of delivery vehicles travelling into that location. Environmental benefits include reducing carbon dioxide levels, particulates and nitrogen oxide emissions, while having a positive impact on congestion in the areas that the SDC operates. In 2007, it was predicted that the level of traffic on the Southampton road network would increase by up to 40% by 2026. The SDC is forecast to reduce the number of HGVs travelling into Southampton City Centre by up to 75%, which is equal to potentially 6,900 vehicle movements per annum. It is hoped that the SDC will reduce Southampton’s Carbon footprint by up to 75% and decrease the output of other harmful gases caused by HGVs. The SDC will also reduce congestion in and around the city. n
www.meachersglobal.com
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