Southampton City Council appoints Meachers to operate Sustainable Distribution Centre

SImon Fry and Frank Baxter from Southampton Council with Joe McMenemy and Gary Whittle of Meachers

Southampton City Council (SCC) has appointed Meachers Global Logistics to run a Sustainable Distribution Centre (SDC) for the City region following a competitive tender process.

Meachers Global Logistics is one of the UK’s leading independent providers of logistics and transport services.  The company, which works for many household brands including Cruise giant Carnival and global packaging specialist Huhtamaki, will run the SDC from a newly acquired 20,000 square foot site based on the Nursling Industrial Estate.

The Mayor of Southampton officially launched the new facility, which is based on the Nursling Industrial estate on Monday 3^rd February 2014.

The SDC will offer its services to Southampton and the surrounding regions including Winchester, Eastleigh, Hedge End, Totton and the New Forest.  Customer goods deliveries can be received from suppliers 24 hours a day, then either stored or grouped with other loads destined for the same locations, and delivered together, thus reducing the number of delivery vehicles travelling into those locations.  This will have a significant environmental benefit by reducing carbon dioxidelevels, particulates and nitrogen oxide emissions, while having a positive impact on congestion in the areas that the SDC operates.

Southampton City Council successfully secured funding through the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund to kick-start the SDC.  The council will use these funds over a four-year period to support the development of the operation through a tapered subsidy that will support its expansion and assist in it reaching critical mass.

Commenting on the appointment, Meachers Global Logistics Commercial Director, Gary Whittle Said:  “Winning this tender is great news for Meachers, our customers and the Southampton area.  With extensive experience running consolidation centres we have been strong advocates for the creation of an SDC for the region for many years. The new offering will bring significant commercial opportunities for customers and environmental benefits for the City.

Through smarter sustainable logistics users will benefit from just in time deliveries, a smarter use of warehousing space and ultimately reduced costs and increased efficiency.  We are already in discussion with a number of public sector organisations regarding the service and intend to roll it out to the private sector mid 2014.”

Southampton’s Cabinet member for Environment and Transport Cllr Jacqui Rayment said: “Southampton City Council successfully bid for the funding required to set up the Sustainable Distribution Centre so we are delighted to have chosen the freight management experts Meachers as the operator and that they will be making it operational by February. I would encourage businesses of all sizes from within a 20 mile radius of Southampton to find out how using the SDC can help them to become more efficient through its affordable delivery and storage solutions, while also reducing the level of carbon emissions and traffic in the city. This news further consolidates our reputation as the ‘Transport City of the Year’ as we lead the way with our partners in providing innovative transport solutions to local residents and businesses.”