Plans for a new Starbucks drive-thru at the Trentham Estate have been formally submitted, with the scheme facing objections over traffic, parking and its potential impact on independent businesses.
The proposals would see a new coffee shop featuring indoor and outdoor seating, a drive-thru lane and associated car parking built in the existing Shopping Village car park, south of the Premier Inn hotel.
Daily Focus reported on the proposals in April when a public consultation was launched ahead of the submission of the plans.
A document submitted to Stafford Borough Council with the planning application details that 940 pieces of feedback were received, with 75.6% of respondents stating they felt very negative about the proposal, while 11.5% were negative.
Traffic and congestion were the most frequently raised concerns, featuring in 451 responses. A further 146 comments raised concerns about the impact on independent businesses, while 140 highlighted parking issues.
Swynnerton Parish Council has objected to the plans on similar grounds, and the borough council’s highway authority has also recommended refusal, raising concerns about displaced parking, the possibility of vehicles parking on nearby roads and the priority given to pedestrians and cyclists.
Plans say the development would result in a net loss of 67 parking spaces from Trentham’s existing 2,040-space car park.
However, the attraction’s operator Trentham Leisure Limited argues there is sufficient capacity elsewhere across the estate to accommodate demand, including during busy periods.
A transport statement predicts the drive-thru would generate 55 two-way vehicle movements during the busiest morning hour and 42 during the afternoon peak. The applicant estimates that only six and four movements respectively would be new trips on the local road network, with the remainder linked to journeys already being made to Trentham.
It states that: “The proposed drive-thru will not have any negative impacts on the surrounding highway network and that the loss of 67 parking spaces from within the Trentham Estate car park will not affect the operation of the car park, even during busy periods.”
The development is expected to create up to 20 full-time and part-time jobs.
A planning document adds: “The proposed use would complement the existing retail and leisure offer by providing a valuable community-focused facility. In particular, it would address an identified shortfall by serving visitors to the Gardens outside of the Retail Park’s core shopping hours, thereby enhancing the overall vitality and usability of the wider site.”
The planning application is open for public comments until Wednesday, 14 October, with a decision expected in the following weeks.
