Southampton City Council has drawn-up a short-list of suitable operators to run a sustainable distribution centre that will serve Southampton and surrounding regions, including Winchester, Eastleigh, Hedge End, Totton and the New Forest.
However, the short-list will remain confidential until the appointment of the chosen operator is announced in mid October.
The council said the new site will receive goods from suppliers 24/7, which will then be grouped with other loads destined for the same location, and delivered together to reduce the number of vehicles travelling to one location.
Having received £225,000 of funding through the government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, Southampton City Council said it will support the expansion of the facility over a two-year period.
“The new project will bring many ‘green’ benefits to the city and surrounding region through enabling businesses to have a more environmentally sustainable way to receive their deliveries into an area, while still offering cost effective storage solutions,” said Southampton’s cabinet member for environment and transport, councillor Jacqui Rayment.
