Drive-thru restaurant plan on car park of North Wales shopping site
An application is in for a site next to a Range store on Bangor Retail Park
Plans are in for a drive-thru restaurant on the car park of a North Wales shopping site. The application has been submitted for Bangor Retail Park, on the edge of the university city.
It would see a drive-thru erected in the parking area close to The Range, taking up an existing 42 parking spaces. The proposal has been submitted by Harris Lamb Property Consultants, on behalf of Paloma Capital Ltd.
There is no named food or drink brand down on the application. The agent said though that they were meeting the requirements for an operator.
A planning statement said: “The occupier has stated an operational and business requirement to develop a facility in Bangor. The new facility needs to occupy a prominent location along a main road to appeal to the ‘grab and go market’.
“Furthermore, the unit must also be available within the next 12 months as the occupier is looking for immediate occupation once planning permission is granted.”
Planners in Wales are currently being told to favour investment in town centres but the agents explained why they felt this would not be appropriate in this case.
The statement added: “The Sequential Test concludes that whilst a number of units were available in Bangor City Centre, none were sequentially preferable to the application site for a variety of reasons including not being of an appropriate floor space and not being able to accommodate a drive-thru facility. As such, the available sites and premises are discounted and the sequential test is passed.”
It added: “An assessment of the retail impact of the proposed development on Bangor’s City Centre has been undertaken which confirms that the proposed development would not give rise to a significant effect on the City’s vitality and viability nor to the level of public and private sector investment.
“The proposal would add to the range and choice of units on an established retail park. It will also provide opportunities for ‘linked trips’ as well a tourist facility for those visiting Wales along the North Wales Expressway. Furthermore, it will also create jobs both during the construction/fit out phase and will reuse previously developed land.”
The applicant has confirmed that the proposed occupier will use bilingual signage and menus at the site. The proposal will now be considered by planners at Cyngor Gwynedd.