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.”
Cross River Partnership (CRP), a non-profit and impartial partnership organisation, and Westminster City Council (WCC), have announced that after a successful 9-month trial period, the low[1]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.
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. 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.”
Picture at the hub - (from left to right):
Jim Glen, Councillor for Pimlico North Ward
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality, Westminster City Council
Edward Cox, Business Development & Operations, Decarbon Logistics Solutions
Kevin Savage, Chief Operating Officer, Delivery Mates
Fiona Coull, Senior Programme Manager, Cross River Partnership
Paul McCormack, Chief Executive Officer, Decarbon Logistics Solutions
Daniella Jovanović, Principal Climate Emergency Officer, Westminster City Council
Hugh Brennan, Transport Programme Manager, Westminster City Council
Isidora Rivera Vollmer, Project Manager, Cross River Partnership
