Darkstores in De Pijp have to close from the municipality on Friday: Gorillas go to court
These are the branches of Getir in Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat, Zapp in Daniël Stalpertstraat and Gorillas in Gerard Douplein. In mid-April, the municipality already announced that the distribution centers would have to close because the ‘impact on the neighborhood would be too great’, but a definitive date was not yet known. Last year, local residents complained The Parool about the arrival of the dark stores. “This is no longer normal city noise,” a local resident said, among other things.
The three flash deliverers have appealed against the decision of the municipality in recent weeks, but have not been able to surprise the council, despite taking interim measures. For example, a code of conduct was introduced to prevent conflicts with municipalities and residents living near their branches. In addition, Gorillas added to close its dark stores at 11 p.m. instead of 12 a.m. “to reduce nuisance late at night” and dropped its promise to deliver groceries within ten minutes.
To the judge
According to the municipality, Gorillas is the only one of the three flash deliverers who has so far gone to court to prevent the closure. The case is due June 20. The Gorillas facility is expected to remain open until the court’s agreement. The company has been asked for a comment, but could not be reached for comment.
It is not yet known what they will do for Getir and Zapp, says a statement by alderman Reinier van Dantzig (Spatial Planning). “They have until June 10 to also go to court, otherwise they will receive a penalty of 20,000 euros,” said the spokesperson. “And we have also indicated that if they do not close, the penalty will be imposed.”
Getir says he does not want to respond to the media ‘so as not to disrupt the ongoing process’. “In general, we look forward to working with the new alderman on a construction in which cooperation is paramount,” said one said. The company is therefore still in the middle of going to court before Friday.
One spoke to Zapp that they “intend the council to review its decision” and are still considering all options to challenge the closure. “In the meantime, we plan to continue to work constructively with the municipality and the new alderman on a long-term plan that will support a thriving flash delivery sector in Amsterdam, and more local employment in the future.”
City wants growth
A dark store of the flash delivery company in West on Fagelstraat had to close its doors at the end of April because, according to the municipality, it does not stick in the plan. The company challenged that closure in court, but was unsuccessful.
For the time being, the four flash deliverers cannot open new branches. Since the end of January, there has been a one-year ban on the opening of new dark stores, in order to prevent the city from controlling the growth of the new flash delivery. In the meantime, the municipality can make policy to justify growth. The first contours of that policy have already been announced by the municipality. For example, it no longer wants dark stores allowed in residential areas or daily commuting areas, and only in business parks.