Anger at night pub Olympics delivery plan

Proposals for night-time only deliveries in London during the Olympic Games have angered trade leaders, who have claimed it would be a logistical nightmare for pubs and breweries.

The concern has been raised as Transport for London (TfL) unveiled plans to bring in night-time deliveries as a "key" part of its strategy to deal with the demand on the transport network during the 2012 event.

Alex Salussolia, managing director at Glendola Leisure, which owns several venues in central London, added: "This is not great news because it will be more costly. Currently, we have deliveries during the day and staff are paid to be there during the day. This will mean bringing in the right person to take the deliveries at night. And the suppliers will, of course, pass their extra costs on too."

He refuted claims that the capital would face chaos due to the large number of people heading into the capital. "Looking back to the royal wedding as experience of a big event in London, there was an influx of tourists, but the locals made sure to stay out of the city."

British Beer & Pub Association chief executive Brigid Simmonds demanded that TfL and London boroughs move quickly to make decisions to allow the trade to plan. She said: "This is a big logistical challenge, with hundreds of central London pubs, and many more around the other Olympic venues, directly affected.

"Night-time deliveries will have a big impact on all the pubs affected, with staff needed on site at night to receive goods. Though beer delivery is the biggest challenge, this isn't just about beer, as pubs receive a wide range of supplies.

"Transport for London and the boroughs need to move things forward quickly, so brewers, distributors and pubs can work together to overcome the bottlenecks."

Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish agreed: "It's crucially important that they are discussing options with businesses that may be affected because this will mean that there will be staffing issues for pubs to take the deliveries."

A TfL spokeswoman said: "We are already working with businesses and operators across London and the UK, urging them to plan ahead now and consider options such as flexible working hours or arranging for deliveries at different times where it will not be possible during the day."

Final details are due to be released in the autumn.