Drive-thru Costa on Plas Coch Retail Park given go ahead

Plans to build a drive-thru coffee shop on a town retail park have been given the go ahead.

Members of Wrexham Council’s planning committee yesterday backed the application for the Costa coffee on Plas Coch Retail Park.

The plans had been recommended for approval by the council’s head of environment and planning, who said the application is “intended to enhance the existing facilities within the retail park and service existing users of the site.”

As part of the application it was proposed that the drive-thru Costa Coffee was located on car parking space located at the front of DW Sports and Frankie & Benny’s.

Currently there 292 spaces on retail park, with the committee told a parking survey carried out prior to the applications submission found the peak usage at any one time was 112 parked vehicles.

The development itself would result in the loss of 24 spaces, however there will be 11 new spaces as part of the drive-thru.

It was suggested by Cllr I David Bithell that a temporary restriction of opening hours was in place between 6am to midnight for a year as a trial – rather than the potential 24 hour openings.

However this recommendation was voted against by a majority of councillors.

Cllr Marc Jones, noted that long-term there could be a cumulative effect on traffic in the area with the introduction of the drive-thru coffee shop and the recently approved hotel near the Plas Coch restaurant.

The plans are amongst three separate applications to build drive-thru coffee shops in Wrexham County Borough – with a reserved matters application for the Ruabon area recently approved by councillors.

More recently plans to build a petrol station and drive-thru coffee shop near the Llan y Pwll Link Road were deferred amid concerns over highway safety.