Drive-through cafe approved despite objections

The plans will see the Original Factory Shop building demolished

Plans for a drive-through coffee shop have been approved despite objections from more than 160 residents.

An application to demolish the Original Factory Shop in Ben Rhydding, near Ilkley, and build a chain cafe was approved by Bradford Council’s planning panel on Wednesday.

The coffee chain is unknown, but the application was submitted by Burley Developments Ltd and The EG Group Ltd, which operates other sites that include Starbucks, Greggs and Krispy Kreme.

Objections largely focused on the impact of the development on traffic in the area, but planners said it was unlikely to create additional car journeys.

Ilkley councillor David Nunns said the scheme was a risk to road safety.

“Wheatley Lane is the second busiest junction in Ilkley and most of the time it is completely full of cars," he said.

He said they were not objecting to redevelopment of the site, but "the traffic associated with it".

But at a meeting of the Keighley and Shipley Area planning panel, councillor Chris Herd said it was important for the council to “encourage investment and regeneration”.

Planning officer Mark Hutchinson said the new building would be much smaller than the existing store and there would be 22 parking spaces on site - four of which would be EV charging spaces.

The application added that the drive-through cafe, open from 07:00 to 23:00, would create 25 full-time jobs.

One objector, Andy Stewart, pointed out that a new McDonalds was opening just a mile away from the planned coffee shop and suggested the site be used for affordable housing.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Stewart highlighted how busy the junction already was.

"The traffic at this junction can back up to the railway bridge.”

Ilkley councillor Andrew Loy agreed traffic was a concern.

He said: “Being a drive through, it is going to have more people pulling in and out than there is now.

"There are a lot of objections and people who want to keep this site as it is, but I don’t think that is enough to refuse the application.”

However, Mr Hutchinson suggested the business would not create many extra car journeys.

“Customers are likely to be passing trade – people already on the road, rather than this business being a destination.”

He added: “We acknowledge people’s concerns, but respectfully feel they are unfounded.”

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.