CILT warns of gap between housing development and how people live
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has warned that new housing developments across the UK risk being unfit for modern life because of a growing disconnect between housing design and the practical realities of daily life.
image: CILT
With online shopping, grocery deliveries and on-demand services now a routine part of everyday life, the volume of deliveries to homes has surged. At the same time, policy and planning is increasingly focused on reducing reliance on private cars - particularly in urban areas - placing greater importance on accessible and reliable public transport.
CILT’s Freight and Logistics Policy Group says many developments lack essential infrastructure such as designated delivery areas, creating issues including congestion, unsafe parking and inefficiencies for drivers. These challenges are particularly evident in high-density urban schemes and in rural areas where public transport options may be limited or absent.
CILT is calling for a fundamental shift in how developments are planned, ensuring that both logistics and public transport are considered from the outset rather than as an afterthought. Furthermore, it argues, addressing these challenges at the planning stage is far more effective and cost-efficient than retrofitting solutions later.
Ian Wainwright, CILT (UK) Freight and Logistics Policy Group vice chair, said, “Across the UK, we are seeing new developments - whether high-rise buildings in our cities or new homes in rural communities - being delivered without fully considering how deliveries and transport will function in practice. Delivery drivers are essential to keeping the economy moving, yet too often they are left without safe or suitable places to stop.
“At the same time, failing to integrate public transport from the outset risks creating communities that are car-dependent and less sustainable. These are not future challenges - they are happening now, and they must be addressed at the planning stage.
“We have a real opportunity to get this right as we build the homes and communities of the future. By designing in space for deliveries and ensuring public transport is part of the plan from day one, we can create places that are more efficient, more sustainable and better suited to the way people live today.”
CILT is calling for:
The inclusion of designated delivery and loading areas in all new developments
Safe, practical access for delivery drivers to reduce disruption and improve efficiency
Early-stage planning for public transport connectivity, particularly in rural and edge-of-town developments
Greater collaboration between developers, planners, and transport professionals