Bleary-eyed residents' fury at 24-hour Co-op keeping them up at night as delivery drivers 'play music, slam on brakes and make phone calls'

It’s the convenience store chain that trades on its close links with the communities it operates in.But a Co-op shop has angered nearby residents who say its 24-hour delivery service is causing ‘sleepless nights’.They complain moped and e-bike drivers are slamming on brakes as they race in, revving engines while they wait, play music, have noisy conversations and make phone calls in the dead of night.Staff at the store in Earlham Road, Norwich, have put a sign in the window asking delivery drivers to ‘keep noise to a minimum during overnight hours’ but locals claim it has had no effect.Some have contacted the city council in desperation, amid claims licensing rules may have been breached.Many complaints have come from Earlham House, a block of flats opposite the premises, where bleary-eyed occupants say they even had to keep windows closed during the summer heatwaves to try and reduce the racket caused by people employed by Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats.One local complained online: ‘It's gotten way out of hand now. I've just been woken up yet again by drivers shouting on their phones whilst riding bikes and shouting under my window.‘Music playing, engines running, shouting, doors slamming, rustling of bags and other noises I and other residents are now hearing all through the night, making sleep difficult.‘My health is getting affected. I regularly have to tell them to shut up.’ The Co-op store in Earlham Road, Norwich, has angered nearby residents who say its 24-hour delivery service is causing ‘sleepless nights’They added: ‘This is a new development which I would have factored in when I moved here… in 2023.‘This was not the case over 3 years ago when I moved. It closed at 11 and it was silent most of the time afterwards.’Jennifer Davies, 33, who has lived in her flat for four years, said: ‘We have hundreds of delivery drivers zooming in and out. They're rushing in, slamming on brakes, playing music.'They don't drive slowly or respectfully. The kind of rules that you expect when you live in a residential area aren't really being respected.'Neighbour Jodie Rowe described ‘multiple occasions when I have had to yell out of my window to explain to these individuals they are being far too loud’.She added: ‘I have been disturbed by car and bike engines, loud talking on phones, engines being left idle and music playing, just to name a few.’Another resident, Cuthbert Varley, 31, also said he had heard music ‘blaring out’.Tim Part, who lives in a nearby road, said the delivery drivers are 'polite' but 'come and go constantly'. Many complaints have come from Earlham House, a block of flats opposite the premises, where occupants say they had to keep windows closed during the summer heatwaves to reduce the racketThe scheme draws 'staff away from the tills', he added. Local businesses added customers had been coming in and complaining about the disruption. Joseph Yahya, who works at the nearby Euro Max Norwich convenience store, said: ‘People come to my shop and complain about the Co-op.‘Neighbours say they can't sleep because the drivers are constantly shouting.‘I spoke to the manager of the Co-op who said there is nothing they can do.’Post Office worker Mia Bailey-Emblin added: ‘Some people were in the post office complaining about it yesterday.‘They were really against it and said it wasn't what they signed up for when they moved here.’The Co-op – which advertises itself as ‘Owned by you. Right by you’ – announced in 2024 that it was launching 24-hour delivery services in areas including London, Manchester and Leeds.It said it would expand the scheme to other locations, depending on having enough staff on night shifts to fulfil orders and delivery drivers to pick them up. Tim Part, who lives in a nearby road, said the delivery drivers 'come and go constantly'.The company explained at the time: ‘Meeting the needs of our member-owners and customers is at the heart of what we do at Co-op.‘We understand how changing lifestyles and working patterns are increasing the need for more flexibility when it comes to getting groceries delivered. We’re always looking at ways to evolve.’An application was made to Norwich City Council to operate on a round-the-clock basis at Earlham Road and this was granted in April.Since then, neighbours have described how the noise of delivery drivers has been added to the disturbances caused by lorries bringing stock to the store.Ms Rowe added she was wondering if the branch was in breach of its licence because of noise pollution, although she didn’t blame staff or the company directly.She said: ‘It’s interfering with my ability to sleep and then function during the day. I know other residents in the building are having issues too.’A Co-op spokesman said: ‘The 24-hour quick commerce service we provide at a number of our stores helps to provide greater access for people who may need to shop outside of traditional opening hours, such as shift workers.‘We fully understand the importance of being a responsible retailer and have worked with our delivery partners to minimise any impact of the service on the local Earlham community, as we continue to monitor and engage with the local residents and council.’A Deliveroo spokeswoman said: ‘We take our community responsibilities very seriously, and regularly communicate with riders about respecting the communities they ride in.‘We are in contact with the partner in question to address these concerns.’Just Eat added: ‘Couriers who deliver for Just Eat are self-employed contractors. To work with us they sign a courier service agreement which outlines the standards of behaviour expected.‘Supporting our partners to be a good neighbour is incredibly important to us. We have issued a reminder of the agreed standards to all couriers operating in the local area and will continue to monitor the situation closely.’Uber Eats and the council were also contacted for a comment.