Plans for a new drive-thru coffee shop near Bedford’s Fairhill roundabout were approved despite concerns about congestion at the busy junction.
Councillors on Bedford Borough Council’s planning committee backed proposals for the coffee shop with drive-thru, car parking and landscaping on land south of the junction of Paula Radcliffe Way and Clapham Road.
The site is close to Brewpoint and an existing McDonald’s drive-thru, while Aldi and Sainsbury’s are located nearby on the opposite side of Fairhill.
During the meeting, committee chairman cllr Jonathan Abbott (Lib Dem, Clapham and Oakley) questioned whether the roundabout could cope with additional traffic generated by the development.
He said: “Obviously, the roundabout is quite congested already.”
Cllr Abbott added that, as a regular user of the junction, he knew “how difficult it would be to get out onto the roundabout” from Aldi and asked whether consideration had been given to traffic lights at the junction.
Planning officer Rachel Duncan replied: “The site has been assessed by the Highways officer and no objection has been raised in regards to capacity of the junction.
“It’s considered to be able to accommodate additional traffic flows.”
Objections
The application attracted three objections from neighbours, including concerns about increased traffic, the number of existing drive-thru units in the area and the loss of employment land.
A report to councillors said the site remains designated as employment land under Bedford’s Local Plan 2030, although officers concluded the proposed coffee shop would still represent a “form of employment use” within a predominantly commercial area.
The report also said the site had originally been allocated for a park-and-ride facility under earlier planning policies, but that allocation was removed in 2019.
Councillors voted unanimously to approve the application, subject to conditions.
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
