Plans for a Costa drive-through in Oswestry have been given the green light.
The coffee shop is set to be built near the new Morrison’s supermarket on the former Smithfield livestock market site, where permission has also been granted for a McDonald’s restaurant.
Around 11 full-time equivalent jobs are expected to be created at the new Costa when it opens.
The plans are for a single-storey coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating areas, a drive through and 30 parking spaces, which will be accessed via the existing roundabout on Smithfield Road.
There was one objection to the application from a member of the public, who raised concerns over the impact on existing businesses in the town centre.
But a report by case officer Melanie Williams says: “Developments of this nature only appear at gateways to towns and cities where they have a high profile and enable drive-through facilities to be provided.
“Many of these companies has a policy of only providing them if they can have drive-through and as such prevents developing them within town centres.
“Costa Coffee has a wide range of customers including commuters, families, holiday makers.
“As such are popular with families on a journey and local families who are within walking or cycling distance and not necessarily dependent on travelling by car.
“Overall in terms of policy it is considered that in principle this is an acceptable site for such a development.
“It will provide some additional employment for the town and provide an additional facility/service.
“As it is on the edge of the town, it will not detract from the town centre and its shops and facilities there.”
A separate application for signage is yet to be determined.
The town council did not object to the main application but did object to the signage plans, saying: “The council have consistently expressed concerns regarding the excessive number of illuminated signs in this location believing them to have a negative visual impact on the area which is an important gateway into the town.
“As they are illuminated they detrimentally affect neighbouring residents’ quality of life and are an unnecessary distraction for motorists.”
Ms Williams’ report said it did initially appear that “an unacceptable amount of advertisement [was] being sought”, but that officers think most of the proposed signs are acceptable as they are small and located wholly within the site.