Drive thru near Norcot junction faces conditions before construction after appeal approval. Traffic and environment are key concerns.
Barry Elford, who owns a burger bar on Scours Lane, believes the drive-thru could negatively impact his business, calling its approval “heart-wrenching.” His burger van was seen serving customers on Wednesday, February 5th. Greggs is potentially the restaurant taking over the site.
Government inspector N Robinson approved the drive-thru following an appeal by Cube Real Estate. Although work has not yet begun on the project, some conditions must be met before building can start. These conditions were outlined in the approved appeal.
One condition pertains to the building’s quality, requiring a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating, which assesses a building’s environmental impact. Weybourne Ltd sought to amend the wording of a condition to allow for the submission of BREEAM details at a later stage. This application received approval last September.
A planning officer confirmed that the modification was acceptable, as it still required adherence to a “Very Good” BREEAM standard. A landscaping plan, detailing both hard and soft landscaping elements, was submitted last July but subsequently withdrawn in October 2024.
The council initially rejected the plan in 2022, with Councillors Glenn Dennis and Mark Keeping voicing their opposition. They surveyed residents regarding traffic concerns, and Councillor Dennis emphasized the traffic impact on the sensitive Norcot roundabout, clarifying that the issue was not specifically about Greggs. The council also cited the loss of green space as a reason for the original rejection. Another drive-thru Greggs is nearing completion in Southcote, situated along the A4 Bath Road.