Q-Park: Cross River Partnership and Westminster City Council-Funded Micro Logistics Hub in Pimlico to Remain in Operation After Successful 9-Month Trial

Cross River Partnership (CRP), a non-profit and impartial partnership organisation, and Westminster City Council (WCC), are excited to announce that after a successful 9-month trial period, the low-emission courier Delivery Mates and Q-Park UK have come to an agreement and will continue to independently operate from the Pimlico micro logistics hub for a minimum of 12 months. Decarbon Logistics Solutions facilitated the conversations between Delivery Mates and Q-Park UK, encouraging them to continue the hub operations after the trial ended.

The CRP and WCC-funded trial, which aimed to support low-emission last-mile deliveries in the City of Westminster, was launched on 17th April 2023 and ended on 31st December 2023. The trial was supported by Decarbon Logistics Solutions, and carried out by Delivery Mates low-emission couriers. The project was part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Logistics for London (CALL) and Smarter Greener Logistics (SGL) programmes.

Based in the Q-Park Pimlico parking facility, the hub receives parcels from an electric van and then distributes them by electric cargo bikes in the City of Westminster and surrounding areas.

Micro logistics hubs are small, secure spaces that couriers and operators can use to receive, sort, and send deliveries in central locations, ideally by cargo bike or walking porters, to support zero-emission last-mile deliveries in the City of Westminster. They act as a crucial step for consolidating deliveries, which can reduce the number of polluting vehicle trips and congestion, thereby improving local air quality.

After 9 months of operations, the e-cargo bikes travelled total distance of 22,578 km (14,029 miles), which led to significant emissions reductions of 4,186 kg of CO2, 15,141 g of NOx, and 303 g of PM2.5 when comparing the e-cargo bikes to polluting van deliveries on the last mile.

Translated into more tangible examples, by using the CRP Clean Air Tool, these emission savings would equate to:

• CO2 emissions from 85 football pitch-sized forest fires
• NOx emissions equivalent to what 459 people emit in one day
• 6.8 sycamore maple trees required to filter out these PM2.5 emissions

Cross River Partnership (CRP) is currently working on an in-depth report which will include detailed data, insights, learnings, and recommendations from the 9-month micro logistics hub trial in Pimlico. This will be published on CRP’s website in the coming months.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality, Westminster City Council, said: "We are immensely proud of the success of the Pimlico Micro Logistics Hub, which demonstrates the power of working together to tackle urban transport challenges. This project exemplifies our commitment to creating a greener, more sustainable economy while supporting local businesses and improving the quality of life for residents. 2 Building on the success of the trial, Westminster City Council hopes to expand and replicate similar initiatives across the city to transform urban logistics and improve sustainability.”

Isidora Rivera Vollmer, Project Manager, Cross River Partnership, said: "Cross River Partnership is incredibly pleased that the micro logistics hub in Pimlico will remain in operation for an additional 12 months. The trial aligns with our current Defra-funded Smarter Greener Logistics programme, which aims to minimise the impact of freight on noise, air quality, traffic, and pavement space in London. This is an amazing collaborative achievement between Cross River Partnership and Westminster City Council and shows the value of public-private collaboration and innovative trials like these.”

John Denton, Head of Commercial at Q-Park UK said “Q-Park have been at the forefront of the European Parking industry in the creation of Mobility Hubs. Our aim is to develop parking facilities into vital instruments to help realise urban accessibility, sustainability and liveability. By 2030 we want to be the preferred Sustainable Mobility Hub Partner for both the Private and Public sector, We are therefore delighted that the Last Mile Delivery Hub located in our Q-Park Pimlico parking facility is to continue.”

For more information on this trial, please contact CRP Project Manager Isidora Rivera Vollmer (isidorariveravollmer(at)crossriverpartnership.org).

NOTES TO EDITORS

• This was a Westminster City Council and Cross River Partnership, a non-profit and impartial partnership organisation, funded trial supported by Decarbon Logistics Solutions, and carried out by Delivery Mates low-emission couriers. The project was part of the DEFRA-funded Clean Air Logistics for London (CALL) and Smarter Greener Logistics (SGL) programmes.
• The hub is a fenced-off 750 sq ft area within Q-Park Pimlico on Cumberland Street.
• This trial supports the delivery of DEFRA’s Clean Air Strategy, WCC’s Fairer Westminster Strategy, WCC’s Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) as well as WCC’s Freight, Servicing and Deliveries Strategy and Action Plan.
• How to Support a Micro Logistics Hub in your Borough: A Guide for Local Authorities

About Q-Park

Q-Park is notable for its quality approach and has a portfolio comprising over 3,300 parking facilities with more than 640,000 parking spaces in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Ireland, and Denmark.

About Cross River Partnership

Cross River Partnership (CRP) is a partnership delivering environmental, economic and community focused projects. We support public, private and voluntary organisations to creatively address challenges around Air Quality, Transport, Placemaking and Wellbeing.

About Clean Air Logistics for London

Clean Air Logistics for London (CALL) is a £1 million Defra-funded project led by Westminster City Council in collaboration with 10 project partners. The project aims to move more freight into London via river rather than road, supported by zero emission delivery methods in Central London. CALL is building on the success of CRP’s Clean Air Villages 4 programme.

About Smarter Greener Logistics

Smarter Greener Logistics (SGL) is a £1 million Defra-funded project led by Westminster City Council in collaboration with 26 project partners. The project aims to minimise the impact of freight on noise, air quality, traffic and pavement space in London by making improvements across London boroughs and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). SGL builds on the success of CRP’s Clean Air Logistics for London (CALL).

About Westminster City Council

Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors. The council is currently composed of 31 Labour Party members and 23 Conservative Party members.

About Decarbon Logistics Solutions

Decarbon Logistics Solutions support global logistics organisations with their decarbonisation plans with fleet parking, charging and urban hub infrastructure. The team has a wealth of experience within final logistics gained across multiple continents i.e., North America, Europe, and Asia.

About Delivery Mates

Delivery Mates is the trading name of OTL Omega Telematics and Logistics Limited. The company started in 2013 to provide innovative final mile delivery solutions, specialising in providing flexible, compliant, reliable, and cost-effective delivery service, which continues today. DM was one of the first companies to allow its customers to choose to operate last-mile deliveries using a range of electric vehicle types, EV Vans and eCargo Bikes. Their mission is to become a leader in sustainable urban logistics, applying sustainable and innovative growth to business and society.