New KFC drive thru will be built on Asda car park
A brand new KFC drive thru[1] will be winging its way to the car park of a large Leicestershire supermarket, despite traffic concerns being raised. Members of the Oadby and Wigston Borough Counci[2]l planning committee approved an application last night (Thursday, July 27) to build a new fast food restaurant on the car park of the Asda superstore in Oadby.
The supermarkets owner Euro Garages Ltd applied for permission to build the new store in October last year and have been successful in their bid. The company said in planning documents it will provide "significant economic benefits" to the area and create 40 jobs[3].
People will be able to sit in, takeaway or drive thru at the Leicester Road store, which will be open seven days a week from 10am until 11pm. Plans are also in place to allow delivery through apps such as Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo[4].
While the application was approved by councillors at the meeting, some concerns were raised about potential traffic problems and anti-social behaviour at the site. Councillor Jeffrey Kaufman, a Liberal Democrat[6] representing Oadby Brocks Hill described the Asda site as "ideal" for this "operation", but also raised "serious concern" about increased traffic.
He said: "As someone who used to live very close to the site, I have concern about the junction and the traffic getting on and off. I used to live on Leicester Road until a year or two ago, there are a series of accidents there. It is an awful junction.
"I have seen so many accidents and I am amazed the highways department haven't raised that. I have no other objections to the plan, there is enough car parking. But I don't know what we can do as a planning authority if we don't have the support of the highways department."
The effects of planning applications on local roads is assessed by highways officers at Leicestershire County Council. They concluded that the extra traffic generated from the scheme would not "compromise the existing access" from the A6 and therefore raised no objections to the restaurant being built.
Other councillors[7] raised traffic concerns, making reference to a potential build up of cars on the site queuing to access the KFC.[8] Councillor Bill Boulter, a Lib Dem representing Wigston Fields, labelled the Asda junction as "murderous" but said the committee should listen to the county council's advice.
He said: "Once again, we talk about highways. For the benefit of the residents, we have had this argument many times about highways. If we even think about turning something down on highway grounds we are hiding to nothing.
"We are not the experts on highway grounds, but the county council team is. If county do not throw it out on highways grounds there is nothing we can do about it. They are the experts."
The application was approved via a majority decision with eight of the committee members voting to approve it. One councillor, Liberal Democrat Carl Martin voted to reject it and two councillors abstained, one of which was the council leader Samia Haq.[9]
Location plan of the intended new restaurant (Image: Google)
References
- ^ A brand new KFC drive thru (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Oadby and Wigston Borough Counci (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ benefits" to the area and create 40 jobs (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Leicestershire dentist hoping to extend to create room for 2,000 new patients (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ , a Liberal Democrat (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ Other councillors (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ queuing to access the KFC. (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
- ^ was the council leader Samia Haq. (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)