Controversial plans for Ben Rhydding drive-thru approved

Thursday, 8 August 2024 12:05

By Chris Young, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to open a drive thru coffee shop has been approved, despite a Councillor describing the scheme as “lunacy.”

A planning application submitted last year called for the Original Factory Shop in Ben Rhydding to be demolished and a café built in its place.

The application has been criticised by many in the area, with over 160 people writing to Bradford Council urging for the plans to be refused and a further 61 people signing a petition against the application.

But at a meeting of the Council’s Keighley and Shipley Area Planning Panel on Wednesday, members voted to approve the plans – with one Councillor saying it was important for the Council to “encourage investment and regeneration.”

The application was submitted by The EG Group Ltd and Burley Developments Ltd. Although no details have yet been revealed about what chain might be moving onto the site, the EG Group, founded by the billionaire Issa brothers, operate other sites that include Starbucks, Greggs and Krispy Kreme.

The application said the café, at the junction of the A65 and Wheatley Lane and next to an existing service station, would create 25 full time jobs – compared to the 10 jobs at the current Factory Store.

At Wednesday’s meeting, held in Keighley Town Hall, planning officer Mark Hutchinson told members that the new building would be much smaller than the existing store, and that there would be 22 parking spaces on site. Four would be EV charging spaces.

Many of the objections raised serious concerns about the extra traffic that would be created by a car centric business at the busy junction.

Referring to the traffic concerns, Mr Hutchinson suggested the business would not create many extra car journeys. He said:

“Customers are likely to be passing trade – people already on the road, rather than this business being a destination.”

The new coffee shop would open from 7am to 11pm – members were told.

One objector, Andy Stewart, spoke at the meeting. He pointed out that a new McDonalds was opening just a mile away from the planned coffee shop.

He suggested the site be used for affordable housing.

He highlighted how busy the junction already is, saying:

“The traffic at this junction can back up to the railway bridge.”

Mr Hutchinson said competition from similar nearby businesses was not a reason to refuse a new development.

Councillor David Nunns (Cons, Ilkley) said:

“I don’t object to the removal of the current building, it does need something doing to it.

“It is the highways issue we’re concerned about. Wheatley Lane is the second busiest junction in Ilkley, and most of the time it is completely full of cars.

“The road recently became a 20 mph zone with speed bumps, which has slowed down traffic and added to congestion.

“We’re not objecting to redevelopment, it’s the traffic associated with it. A new development here is lunacy in terms of highway safety.”

Mr Hutchinson pointed out that the site was already in commercial use. He added:

“We acknowledge people’s concerns, but respectfully we feel they are unfounded.”

Councillor Chris Herd (Cons, Worth Valley) said:

“We have to think what we do with old buildings. We do have to keep up with regeneration. We need investment and it is important we encourage investment and the regeneration of properties.

“The charging points might benefit some people. There will be benefits to this. Retail is changing, more people are going online. People are finding they need to change their premises.”

Chair of the Committee Councillor Sinead Engel (Lab, Clayton and Fairweather Green) said:

“I don’t think the design is pretty, but the planting scheme planned is an improvement on what is already there in my mind.”

Councillor Andrew Loy (Cons, Ilkley) said:

“The main concern is the highways issue. Being a drive thru it is going to have more people pulling in and out than there is now.

“But it doesn’t seem like that concern would stand up at an appeal. There are a lot of objections and people who want to keep this site as it is, but I don’t think that is enough to refuse the application.”

The plans were then approved.

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