Detailed plans have been submitted to enable American coffee company and coffeehouse chain, Starbucks, to open a new outlet in Rotherham.
With nearly 25,000 retail stores around the world and 900 in the UK, the US coffee chain unveiled plans to open approximately 12,000 new stores globally by 2021. In addition to traditional high street, retail park, kiosk and other concessionary activity in the UK, a growing number are expected to be drive thru operations.
Following outline planning approval in 2015 for a new Rotherham outlet, details have now been submitted showing a 1,959 sq ft building on the existing car park at the Foundry Retail Park at Parkgate.
The drive thru coffee shop unit is expected to create 15 jobs.
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The plans state: "Due to increased demand, a new A3 pod unit is proposed to the north of the existing car park area adjacent to Great Eastern Way and opposite the main retail terrace, which will attract passing customer interest as well as provide refreshment opportunity for visitors to the retail park.
"The proposed building is of high quality design which will positively contribute to the street scene in this location, close to Great Eastern Way. Agreement has been reached with Starbucks to occupy the unit ..."
The 2015 plans were granted by Rotherham Council subject to conditions.
As the site is not located within a designated town, district or local centre, officers asked that a sequential test assessment be undertaken in line with national and local planning policies. Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen.
Council planners agreed with the findings of a study undertaken by the applicants which concluded that there were no sites of a suitable size (0.2 - 0.3 hectares) available for development within Rotherham town centre or the Parkgate local centre. Planners also accepted that there were no more sequentially preferable edge-of-centre sites available between this site and the town centre.
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The design, which includes glazed frontages, mirrors the more recently constructed unit that is occupied by Sofology.
The applicants, Rotherham Foundry Retail Park Ltd, appear confident of approval given that contractors, JP Wild are already on site where around 43 parking spaces are set to be lost to the new development, which will also include outdoor seating areas.
Starbucks is continually seeking sites for new company, franchised and licensed stores. It has been restructuring in the UK, moving towards more stores operated by licensed partners. Pre-tax profits were £13.4m in the year to October 2 2016, down 60% from the £34.2m reported in 2015. Turnover declined from £405.6m to £379.9m.
The first Starbucks in Rotherham is located within Woodall Serices on the M1. A drive thru unit from rival chain, Costa, recently opened on car parking land at the nearby Parkgate Shopping.
3 comments:
Tom, can you link to planning apps in articles? The council planning portal is not as good as it used to be.
The plans are here: http://rotherham.planportal.co.uk/?id=RB2017/1184
Where can I apply for a Barista job?
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