Plan to turn Totton pet food shop into drive-thru cafe refused

District councillors went against the advice of planning officers and rejected an application relating to Jollyes, which occupies an end-of-terrace unit at Totton Retail Park.

They said the proposed drive-thru facility would result in an "unacceptable level" of congestion.

Plans to turn Jollyes into a drive-thru coffee shop have been rejected (Image: Newsquest)

But Totton councillor David Harrison has warned that the decision could be overturned if the applicant, London Metric Property, lodges an appeal.

Posting online Cllr Harrison said: "There have to be solid planning reasons to reject such an application.

"The view of local councillors, that the drive-thru will create traffic problems or even chaos, has to be supported by highway engineers. In the absence of this, an appeals inspector is most likely (going) to agree to it."

READ MORE: Plan to turn Totton pet food store into drive-thru coffee shop submitted to New Forest District Council

The decision to refuse the application was taken at a meeting of the district council's planning committee, which heard that the town council had objected to the proposal.

It said: "Whilst it is appreciated that this is an existing retail park, this isn't an ideal setting for a drive-thru.

“This proposed addition would be over-intensification of the site.”

Jollyes is part of Totton Retail Park in Commercial Road

The application also sparked ten letters of objection from local residents, who raised concerns relating to road safety, increased congestion, and the possibility of anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Joe Reilly told the committee: "It will be chaos. I do not support it."

Cllr David Hawkins added: "It isn’t going to work, they need to go back to the drawing board.”

Cllr John Sleep, a member of the Team Totton litter-picking squad, feared the long opening hours would see an increase in rubbish. He added: "It’s going to be a nightmare."

READ MORE: Councillors recommended to approve plan to turn pet food shop into drive-thru cafe

Plans to convert Jollyes into a coffee shop were unveiled earlier this year.

A  transport statement that accompanied the application said the scheme would have only a negligible impact on neighbouring roads.

It added: "The traffic-generating potential of the development has been considered and is not expected to lead to any significant increase in vehicle movements to the site, with the majority of trips linked with vehicles already accessing the wider retail park."

London Metric Property has been contacted for comment.