Retail Development

Planning application: Costa drive-thru coffee shop and parking.

Local Planning Authority: Bromsgrove District Council.

Highway Authority: Worcestershire County Council.

Outcome: Approved.

We were instructed by Real Estate Investors PLC to provide transport and highways advice to support a planning application for a Costa drive-thru coffee shop on land at Topaz Business Park near Bromsgrove. 

Working in collaboration with Q+A Planning Ltd and Corstorphine & Wright architects, our Transport Planning Team produced a Transport Statement to examine the key transport matters associated with the proposal, including sustainable transport options, vehicle trip attraction, and parking. 

Worcestershire County Council Highways reviewed the Transport Statement and concluded that the Local Highway Authority has no objections to the proposed development. However, the public consultation raised some concerns about the safety of vehicles turning right out of the site access junction on the A38, and about the reduction of business park car parking that would result from building the new drive-through coffee shop.

Our team carefully considered these comments and produced a technical note responding in detail to both matters, seeking to allay concerns about road safety.

We were able to demonstrate that proposal would result in only a minimal number of additional vehicles using the junction, and that there would not be an unacceptable impact on the safety of right-turning vehicles.

We provided additional analysis to help demonstrate that the levels of parking within the business park and the proposed drive-through site would comply with the local standards and would be sufficient for the anticipated demand.

However, in light of the parking concerns, the landowner and applicant were able to provide new parking spaces for the Business Park users elsewhere within the site.

Bromsgrove District Council granted planning permission subject to conditions.

The new Costa drive-thru coffee shop will help to make the Business Park a more desirable location for business needs by providing a new food & beverage facility and informal meeting space for employees and visitors.

Image courtesy of Corstorphine & Wright architects