Opponents of a planned double drive-thru retail site have been boosted by an MP and Senedd member joining the fight amid concerns its traffic scheme is “flawed”.
The full application is for two drive-thru restaurant/cafe units on the former Wool Producers Of Wales Ltd site on Lon Goch, Grove Road, Denbigh.
Operators have not been announced for the venture but there are a number of other hurdles applicant Hindle Property Investments needs to get past first.
Aside from more than 40 local objectors to the scheme Vale of Clwyd MP James Davies and Senedd Member Carolyn Thomas have both written to reject the idea.
Denbigh Town Council has also tabled it opposition to its Denbighshire county counterparts.
Additionally NRW has voiced concerns about the scheme which is partly in a C2 flood zone.
It’s a reworking of plan which was rejected in November last year because it was “likely to generate an increase in pedestrian traffic on a highway lacking adequate footways and pedestrian crossing facilities with consequent danger to all users of the road”.
To counteract those problems a walkway of 1.2m is proposed on Grove Road in the town, from Cae Fron for around 30m.
There will also be a new 1.2m walkway on the north side of Grove Road for 120m and extending the 1.2m wide footway to the south up to 2m.
Although it leaves a 5.5m carriageway, campaigners against the scheme believe it will make it more difficult for delivery lorries leaving Lidl’s delivery bay further up Grove Road.
Aside from concerns for vehicles and pedestrians they also believe the increased traffic and noise generated by customers and vehicles will be too much for local residents.
In his letter to Denbighshire Council’s planning department MP James Davies listed issues with road safety, noise and disturbance, obesity caused by fast food outlets and litter.
He said: “I would be very grateful if you could take into consideration my concerns and those of local residents and reject this application for the good of the locality.”
North Wales Senedd Member Carolyn Thomas said the proposals would have “a negative impact on this residential area” including the threat of anti-social behaviour.
She said: “I agree with my constituent there is potential for an accident here – I believe the road scheme is flawed.”
Campaigner Jennifer Steadman said: “A new T‐junction giving priority to the vehicles entering and exiting the fast food outlets could cause congestion at the junction at busy times.”
She also said there would be “increased difficulty for the large transport vehicles to access or exit via the junction if the traffic is back-logged”.
Speaking previously to the Denbighshire Free Press, a spokesman for Hindle Property Investments said: “The planning application is a resubmission of a previous proposal. Having listened to the concerns previously raised the current scheme includes a range of highway improvements, including the provision of pavements where there is none at present on Grove Road.
“This will not only serve the scheme but will have wider benefits for the community in improving pedestrian and highway safety.”
The full application will be heard by Denbighshire Council’s planning committee at a later date.
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