Plans to build a new Starbucks coffee shop in the car park of Tesco’s Camelon store were narrowly rejected by Falkirk councillors on Thursday after concerns were raised about traffic on surrounding roads.
Members of Falkirk Council’s planning committee were told by the applicant that studies had shown the impact on traffic in and around Glasgow Road would be ‘minimal’.
However, concerns were raised by objectors – including Camelon and Tamfourhill Community Council – that a new coffee shop would add traffic to the already busy Glasgow Road, a major route from the west of Falkirk district to the town centre and beyond.
Some objectors were also concerned at the loss of space in the Tesco car park, although Steven Scott of ECS Transport, speaking on behalf of the developer Mungo Park Ltd, said that the car park is very rarely even half full.
He told the meeting that while the proposal would mean the loss of 75 spaces, that would leave 345 spaces for Tesco customers.
Mr Scott added that since the store had been built, many more customers were now choosing to have their shopping delivered or using Click and Collect, which had reduced the number of vehicles using the car park.
A survey found that even at the busiest times of the week, 181 spaces had been available.
“Tesco would not be freeing up an element of their car parking if it was going to jeopardise their trade,” he said.
The developers also told members that information from similar developments in Scotland showed that around 70 per cent of the vehicles visiting the coffee shop would be on the road network anyway.
They estimated that it would mean an increase of one car every three minutes, which would not be noticeable to road users.
This was backed by Falkirk Council’s roads team, who agreed that the new shop would not have a major impact on traffic.
The developers also highlighted that the new shop would create around 20 new jobs for the local area.
But some councillors remained unconvinced that the new Starbucks would not add to traffic queues, with concerns that some drivers were cutting through residential streets in order to avoid congestion.
Baillie Billy Buchanan said he would not support the application, saying: “I’ve been travelling that road every day for 34 years.
“Coming from Bonnybridge, I used to get into Falkirk in ten to 15 minutes – now it can be 30-40 minutes to get into Falkirk.”
He formally moved refusing the application, backed by Provost Robert Bissett, who said: “I don’t think it’s the right time for this development until we’ve sorted out Glasgow Road.”
Councillors were split on the issue with some feeling that the application would not make enough of a difference to warrant refusal and Councillor Robert Spears proposed accepting the officers’ recommendations.
With voting split evenly in favour and against, the committee convener, Councillor Alf Kelly, had the casting vote, which he used to support Baillie Buchanan’s refusal.
