Plans for a Starbucks drive-thru in Colburn have been unanimously approved after years of delays.
Planners at North Yorkshire Council gave the go-ahead this morning for the redevelopment of waste ground off Woodland Avenue.
The scheme includes a drive-thru coffee shop and a market square area featuring four shops.
Outline planning permission for a place of worship and a residential development featuring eight properties has also been approved.
On architects’ drawing submitted with the plans, the place of worship is named as Kingdom Hall, indicating it will be used by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Two previous applications for the redevelopment of the land were rejected amid concerns about highway safety and the impact on neighbours.
A previously proposed access point to the development opposite the existing lorry park has been removed from the latest plans in a bid to satisfy planners.
Supporting documents submitted with the new application state: “The proposals will facilitate the redevelopment of an underutilised, prominent site to the south of
Catterick Road in a highly accessible location in Colburn.
“The application proposals will also provide enhanced local facilities for local residents and would generate a number of job opportunities for local people, and the employment and economic benefits associated with the proposals should be afforded significant weight in the assessment of the proposals.”
However, local councillors have raised concerns that the changes made to the application do not improve road safety in the area and will increase congestion on the A6136.
Former Richmondshire District Council leader, Cllr Angie Dale, from Colburn Town Council, spoke at the meeting against the scheme, saying the plans were hardly changed with those previously refused by the district council.
She said: “I’ve been involved with this from the very beginning.
“We were sold a lovely little market square that was non-pedestrian that was part of a huge planning application within the town of Colburn.
“That has simply not happened and we’re extremely disappointed.”
Cllr added: “It completely stalls the traffic on a morning with the kids going to school and on an evening.”
Cllr Kevin Foster, North Yorkshire councillor for Catterick, also spoke out against the development.
He said: “I am concerned that should this go ahead the already busy A6136 road will become even more congested. This road is approaching capacity for an A-road and has recently been recognised by NYC and the Combined Authority as a ‘key road’ in our transport network.
“Traffic to and from the site will result in regular triggering of the traffic lights, so will result in an increase in interruption of the main road traffic flow.
“I note that Highways have deemed this acceptable however, given this is the number one issue for residents, I would have liked to have seen a statement or condition on how knock-on disruption would be mitigated.”
