Drive-thru at Dumfries retail park beside possible Costa Coffee given the go ahead

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A new drive-thru at a Dumfries retail park has been given the go-ahead.

And it could lead to nearly 20 new jobs being created at the Peel Centre.

Members of the council’s planning applications committee have given the development the thumbs up at Thursday’s meeting.

The chosen site is an area at the Peel Centre which has been empty since the park opened more than two decades ago and sits beside an area that already has planning permission for a coffee shop drive-thru. Planning documents suggest that site is going to be used for a Costa Coffee.

Agent Rhys Govier, speaking on behalf of the Peel Centre owners, told Thursday’s meeting: “While the occupier of the unit is not known at this stage, typical restaurant and hot food takeaway uses with drive through facilities can deliver significant economic benefit, generating in the region of 18 full and part-time jobs.”

Local residents, many of them living in nearby Fountainbleau had raised concerns about traffic and whether the existing roads could cope with extra vehicle.

Mr Govier said they were sympathetic to the issues and had taken steps to “minimise any effects”, with the council’s roads team raising no objections.

The meeting was read a statement from one local resident, Patricia McLure, which said: “So the residents that this drive-thru will impact the most have had their concerns literally swept under the rug.

“Will the council now adopt the roads at Fountainbleau, give us street lighting etc so that any vehicles that will now use our drive ways as a car park can be seen and identified?

“Will the huge potholes now be filled in to avoid damage to residents’ tyres? Will the council give us better access to our homes when the road is backed up with traffic?

“Not one of these concerns has been addressed, so once again local concerns have been ignored.

“Is the council now prepared to enlighten us as to the business that wants to use this plot?

"I think that we, the residents of Fountainbelau have a right to know that.”

Once the statement had finished being read, committee chairman Councillor Jim Dempster said: “Members, you know that’s a statement so we don’t ask questions on that statement.”

It was unanimously agreed to give the development the go ahead, with one of the conditions being the store is only open between 7am and 11pm.

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