Darkstores are premises where food or household products are stored which can be ordered on the internet and then delivered in a few minutes. These businesses were born during confinement and since then they have continued to spread in metropolises… Where they are not very popular. Local elected officials fought to obtain warehouse status for these premises which do not receive any customers. And this Monday, September 5, the government decided in this direction. By becoming warehouses, these places may be forced to close if the local urban plan (PLU) prohibits this type of activity at their address. Good news for local residents because generally darkstores are located in the inner city, near residential areas.
“We have 5 hours left in the night to sleep peacefully”
The inhabitants of rue Prunier in Bordeaux, in the Chartrons district, are exasperated. In this small street in the center, bicycles, scooters and cars parade continuously. All this commotion is caused by the presence of a darkstore, which arrived in the neighborhood at the beginning of summer. A new neighbor who is a little too noisy for Flore’s taste: “What is disturbing is the calls from the delivery men and the non-stop round trips of scooters until midnight.” And if the warehouse declares an activity from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., between the passage of suppliers very early in the morning and the closing which often drags on in the evening there is constant noise. “We have 5 hours left in the night to sleep peacefully” comments Sandrine. Beyond the noise pollution, the traffic generated by the darkstore can become a danger adds Sandrine: “It’s a one-way street, but delivery people on bicycles, scooters and sometimes even cars, regularly take the street in the wrong direction.” At the end of the day, the residents decided to create a local community to escalate the problem.