Stirchley brewery owner raises safety fears over Amazon delivery hub

The founder of a Stirchley brewery has raised concerns about safety and security as Amazon opens a fast delivery hub on the same trading estate.

Amazon has expanded its Amazon Now service to a hub at Stirchley Trading Estate, promising residents groceries delivered in 30 minutes or less. It has applied to Birmingham City Council for a licence to sell alcohol for delivery.

"People on bikes and HGVs don't mix"

Paul Harwood, who owns Birmingham Brewing Company on the same estate, told a council licensing meeting he had no objection "in principle" to the hub, but was worried about public safety.

He said delivery riders coming and going would be "mixing into a melting pot" of forklifts and lorries. "Amazon have come back and said riders are going to be trained and there's going to be a waiting area," he said. "But I still maintain that people on bikes and HGVs or forklifts don't necessarily mix that well."

He was also concerned that large numbers of riders knowing the estate's access code would weaken security, though he accepted that Amazon's solution, giving riders a separate, traceable access number, resolved that. "It just needs to be reflected in the licence itself," he said.

With the estate at the end of a residential road, he also warned of possible nuisance if the hub operated outside the estate's usual hours. "I have no issue with them being part of the community but it needs to be done in the right way," he said.

Amazon's response

David Roberts, a solicitor representing Amazon, said no concerns had been raised by environmental health, health and safety officers or the police, and that no residents had objected.

"We are confident that this operation will not have a negative impact on the local area, it will be run right," he said. He told councillors the hub would operate from 7am to 11pm, with one main lorry delivery a day, and that riders would have a designated waiting area.

"This is not a gigantic warehouse, this is a small hub which deals with a limited range of products," he said.

A decision on the licence was expected within five working days.

Quick commerce comes to Stirchley

Ultra-fast grocery delivery, sometimes called quick commerce, relies on small "dark stores" close to customers, with riders on bikes and mopeds. Several companies tried the model in British cities in the early 2020s, and many pulled back, but big retailers and delivery platforms have continued to expand rapid delivery.

A suburb known for independents

Stirchley has become one of Birmingham's best-known neighbourhoods for independent businesses, with breweries, bakeries, cafés and restaurants along the Pershore Road. Residents have been debating the arrival of big brands in the area, with plans for a McDonald's drive-through on Pershore Road also drawing protests.

The licensing committee's decision will set the conditions under which the hub can operate, including its hours and how deliveries are managed.