Controversial fast food drive-through development in talks to claim bigger site

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter 

Changes to the plans for a controversial drive-through restaurant are being recommended for approval by county planners.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Planning committee meeting on Thursday, January 28, councillors will receive an application by Starburst Limited to change the size of the building for a drive through Taco Bell restaurant.

The main change is to the size, which is set to go up from the already permitted 1,800 square feet to 2,000 square feet.

Known as a “non-material amendment” the s73 application asks for details of already agreed proposals to be slightly changed.

The report by planning officers said: “The application is being presented to planning committee as the original application was a departure from the Local Development Plan (LDP) and considered to be in the wider public interest.

“The design alterations include; the single integral totem will be omitted and replaced with two smaller columns either end of the building, alterations to window and door arrangements, extending the canopy over the serving window, a reduction in the number of serving windows from two to one with revised positioning and changes to the materials and finishes to correspond with the operators aesthetics and colour scheme.”

“Outdoor seating will still be provided to the western elevation but will be a smaller area than previously approved.

“The main customer/pedestrian entrance remains to the north of the building, with a drive-through service window located to the south.

“The vehicle entrance into the drive-through also remains the same, from the north-eastern corner of the unit where it will then wrap around the southern elevation fronting Barleyfield Road and exit to the north-west of the unit into the proposed car park.”

Planning officers have stressed that councillors need to remember that the principle of the drive-through has already been established by the planning permission awarded by the committee last June.

And even if councillors refuse the application the developer can continue and implement what has already been approved.

The report said: “I recommend planning permission be granted subject to conditions.”

Arguments were made against the proposal as it was claimed that a fast-food outlet would be bad for people’s health.

It was also claimed the development could create up to 84 jobs, councillors narrowly approved the application by four votes to two.