A new Starbucks planned for a Nottinghamshire village has been rejected over fears it could cause traffic and queues. A drive-thru Starbucks was planned to be added to the growing number of shops around the junction of Landmere Lane and Melton Road, Edwalton.
Extensive new development has taken place in the area over recent years, with a significant new housing development to the north and east of the site. Surrounding the prospective site there is an Aldi, McDonalds, Costa, Greggs and Notcutts garden centre.
The drive-thru would have likely created around 30 jobs, but planners turned down the plans after highlighting several problems with the application. The café would have been open between 7am and 10pm, seven days a week.
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Nottinghamshire County Council, as acting highway authority, disagreed with the developer's assertion that the proposed use would not exceed the traffic generation of the previously consented office use. The council added the junction arrangement meant queuing could occur as a result of the proposal on occasions when right turners entering the site are blocked by vehicles exiting the retail park onto Melton Road.
The plans were also objected to by the Pedals Nottingham Cycling Campaign, as the proposals did not include any further cycle infrastructure improvements. It also raised concerns about worsening local traffic congestion, road safety and air pollution and challenged the need for a drive thru, which would not promote walking or cycling in urban areas.
The plan would have seen an office building built as well as EV charging spaces installed for the drive-thru. There would have been 27 car parking spaces, two disabled spaces, and 10 electric vehicle charger bays.
The new Starbucks would have neighboured a new Porsche dealership, which is currently being constructed. The site was previously constructed as a balancing pond as part of the preparation of the wider site for a Waitrose food store, but this did not go ahead.
Rejecting the plans on December 21, a Rushcliffe Borough Council planning officer said it had not been demonstrated the project would not have a 'severe impact' on the highway network. They added there was also no evidence to say it would not harm the local centre.
"The site would be accessed from Landmere Lane with no provision for vehicles to turn into the site without obstructing the flow of traffic. In the absence of an updated Transport Statement, it has not been adequately demonstrated that the application would not result in a severe impact on the highway network," the planning officer said.
"The site occupies a visually prominent corner location adjacent to a main thoroughfare and it is not considered that the proposed built form and facing materials would represent a suitable high-quality design reflective of its 'gateway' location. The applicant has not provided a retail impact assessment to demonstrate that the drive-thru would not harm the viability of existing local centre."
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