Greggs, Costa and Burger King given 'green light' in plans for Oswestry

The green light has been given to plans for a new drive-thru Costa, Burger King, and Greggs on the outskirts of Oswestry. 

The takeaway giants are set for a patch of land adjacent to the Whittington roundabout on the A5/A483, next to the Artillery Business Park - which is also owned by the applicant.

According to the planning documents, applicants Evans Enterprises Limited state the new venues will create 57 full-time and 12 part-time jobs.

The application, which was submitted in April, attracted a number of objections from residents who raised concerns about the increase in traffic. 

One resident, Sara Cox, wrote: "The A5 at this location is an extremely busy road and there are numerous delays in traffic flow due to the amount of vehicles that currently use it. Should these businesses be busy then risks would increase with vehicles queuing to both enter and leave the site.

"There is a large number of similar establishment already offering the same services in the area. Some are only one mile from this location. At the Mile End services and just on the edge of Oswestry Town there are a wide selection of businesses already established."

Whittington Parish Council also objected to the application, stating: "The Parish Council have concerns regarding the increased risk to pedestrians and cyclists and the proposed access would potentially be dangerous due to its proximity to the roundabout. This stretch of road is a RTA hotspot and the parish council have been campaigning for several years for a reduced speed limit."

However, the applicant argued that vehicle speeds in the area were already slow due to the traffic island, and the proposed site would be "easily visible" to traffic. In addition, National Highways raised no objections to the application.

In granting permission for the site, the report from Shropshire Council's planning officers stated that roadside services for food and drink were "very limited" between Shrewsbury and Wrexham and that the three new stores would generate a "greater number of jobs" than if the site had been used entirely for industrial use.

They concluded: "The proposed development is compatible with surrounding land uses and officers do not have any significant concerns in relation to its design and layout. 

"The proposal includes a robust scheme of landscaping which will help the site integrate with its surrounds, provide a buffer to neighbouring dwellings and also provide ecological enhancement.

"The proposal would result in economic and social benefits in terms of employment creation, investment. It would also provide biodiversity enhancements and would therefore contribute towards sustainable development objectives. 

"It is therefore considered that the proposal is acceptable in relation to Development Plan subject to appropriate planning conditions."