Cardiff council has approved plans for two new fast food drive-thru outlets at the Western Avenue retail park in Gabalfa, adding a second Greggs and a Burger King to the site that already hosts three other fast food restaurants.
The retail park, which includes a Tesco superstore and an Aldi, will now have two Greggs restaurants, one KFC, one McDonald's and a Burger King, along with an existing burger van. The new Greggs will be located yards away from the current Greggs outlet.
Approved Plans and Location
The planning committee approved the application on Monday for the new Greggs and Burger King drive-thrus, which will be built beside the Tesco superstore near the roundabout where the petrol station is located. The plans, which include 29 new parking spaces, were submitted to the council by Tesco three years ago.
Council documents state that the proposal aims to secure a “comprehensive redevelopment” of an under-utilised part of the retail site. According to the applicant, the development represents a significant investment in the local area and will provide job opportunities in both the operational and construction phases.
Job Opportunities and Economic Growth
The application states: “The proposed drive-thru units will generate a number of opportunities across a range of roles with flexible shift patterns offered, with both operators offering training and career development opportunities, as well as a number of employee benefits, including discount schemes; pension plans; employee assistance and incentive schemes available to all staff.”
It adds: “The proposals will therefore provide flexible and high-quality job opportunities for local people and would fully align with established local and national policy objectives aimed at supporting economic growth.”
Complementary Addition to the Retail Site
Tesco has noted that, due to their nature as drive-thru locations, the restaurants would not be “destinations in their own right” and are not intended to compete with other fast food restaurants in the area. Instead, the majority of customers are expected to be people primarily interested in the wider retail site.
The application reads: “The proposed small-scale drive-thru units will form a complementary addition to the established range of uses in the wider area providing enhanced facilities for local residents and visitors to the area and introducing opportunities for social interaction.”
It adds: “Moreover, the proposals would make more efficient use of previously-developed land forming part of the wider Tesco site and would also create a number of job opportunities for local people.”
