Drive-thru coffee shop approved by councillors to help town’s economy in new pandemic world

Plans to build a new drive-thru coffee shop on a supermarket car park have today been approved by councillors.

The plans, which were submitted on behalf of EG Group show that the facility, show that the facility would be developed on what is described as a “redundant” bit of car park near the entrance to the Asda car park on Holt Road / Bodhyfryd.

EG Group is described as operating in excess of 75 Starbucks drive-to and drive-thru restaurants, 50 Burger Kings, 153 Subway sub-stations and 104 Greggs bakeries; and being the largest franchisee for Subway in Europe.

Concerns had been raised over the plans by the local community council, which argued that the “proliferation of this type of facility (Lidl across the road) does not encourage shoppers to linger in the town centre and may have a detrimental impact upon the economic viability and vibrancy of the town centre.”

However at a planning committee yesterday councillors acknowledged that the coronavirus pandemic and risk of mass job losses had changed the landscape. The applicant assured councillors that 20-30 local jobs would be created if they backed the development.

Maesydre councillor Paul Jones said the creation of jobs in the construction phase and within the drive-thru is “something worth welcoming” and that there is need for “economic activity in Wrexham” in the wake of the pandemic.

He also called for the opening hours to be brought in-line with the drive-thru coffee shop on Plas Coch, with concerns the keen coffee drinkers of the town could drive to the ASDA carpark if it was open an hour earlier, creating excess traffic from 5am.

Councillor Dana Davies, Ruabon ward, echoed Cllr Jones’ comments, adding: “I think that we are in a completely different environment now with Covid and supporting local businesses through less physical contact is obviously something that we need to be considering.”

“I’m more than happy to second the officer officers recommendation.”

The plans were approved unanimously subject to the opening hours being adjusted to match the 7am opening of the drive-thru coffee shop on Plas Coch.