Greggs drive-thru plans turned down because 'sausage rolls attract kids'

A passionate plea from a caput teacher proved astir persuasive to councillors past night

A Derbyshire headmaster's heartfelt entreaty has led to the scrapping of plans for a caller drive-through Greggs and Starbucks by Erewash Borough Council.

The proposal, situated perilously adjacent to Friesland School and the bustling M1/A52 Sandiacre Interchange, was booted retired past nighttime (September 18) amidst a question of lively applause.

The president and readying caput perpetually reminded the animated assemblage that "this is not a theatre" oregon amusement venue aft each presumption against the project. Local backlash included submissions from 40 residents, ex-MP Maggie Throup, and adjacent influential assembly figures anterior to the showdown.

However, it was Friesland School's ain Craig Patterson who stole the spotlight with his speech. Positioned a 10-minute locomotion from the site, Patterson, astatine the helm since 2020 and overseeing astir a 1000 pupils, shared his concerns, saying: "I americium incredibly disquieted astir the footfall to and from a drive-thru restaurant. The tendency to nip down for a sausage rotation would beryllium overwhelming and strong.

"There is the important imaginable of hundreds of students heading down the roadworthy to Greggs and for the parents to spell to Starbucks connected the schoolhouse run. We already person important parking issues and I can't power wherever the parents park, adjacent though we promote parents not to drive."

"The allure to get a java earlier schoolhouse is alluring," reports Nottinghamshire Live.

He expressed his concerns astir groups of young radical gathering successful a determination representing a "captive audience" for imaginable transgression activity. Mr Patterson stated: "There volition beryllium specified a thrust downhill for our students, possibly to abscond. We get a important fig of lorries driving down the single-lane roadworthy and the postulation from Derby Road is lone increasing."

Tara Brassil, a nonmigratory of Risley, argued that the reasoning of the Government inspector who rejected an entreaty for a McDonald's connected the aforesaid tract successful 2015 inactive holds true. She said: "Nothing has changed but that the postulation is adjacent worse and present we person declared a clime emergency. There are accelerated nutrient outlets including drive-throughs successful each direction, they are taking implicit the place."

She claimed that aerial prime issues and nationalist wellness concerns were capable of a crushed to cull the scheme. Cllr Wayne Major, the person of the borough's Tory opposition, has blasted projected plans for 2 caller drive-thrus, arguing they volition lone worsen postulation snarls. "This is simply a makeshift work station, serving motorists disconnected the M1 and A52. It is absurd that it would beryllium for section usage alternatively of acting arsenic a M1/A52 work presumption for passing traffic.

"We are facing an absurd concern wherever the developer thinks that erstwhile 1 drive-thru was rejected that 2 volition beryllium the solution."

Meanwhile, Cllr Stephen Jarratt, seat of Risley with Hopwell Parish Council, slammed the task arsenic "highly unwelcome connected truthful galore levels", foreseeing that congestion volition dramatically intensify, particularly arsenic the aged Stanton Ironworks tract gets revamped, which volition make thousands of jobs and a surge successful traffic. He warned of the antagonistic interaction connected section residents and the charm of the area, including "intrusive" airy contamination and noise.

Cllr Jarratt expressed his heavy concern: "Kids get excited and impatient. If a kid is killed oregon maimed it whitethorn not remainder casual connected your conscience." Additionally, Cllr Steve Bilbie cautioned the assembly against prioritising nett implicit assemblage welfare, labelling the connection a "recipe for disaster". He boldly stated it was "undemocratic" to discourage residents from clapping their disapproval.

Steve Birkinshaw, the council's caput of planning, expressed his embarrassment implicit Cllr Bilbie's comments. Meanwhile, Cllr Lynne Evans, a subordinate of Stanton by Dale Parish Council, revealed she often finds herself picking up accelerated nutrient rubbish similar Costa java cups and McDonald's bags up to 7 miles distant from the respective concatenation restaurants.

Phil Hayton highlighted that a postulation survey discovered 700 vehicles usage Bostocks Lane per hour, extracurricular of unreserved hour, with the bulk being HGVs oregon commercialized vans. He warned that "many children are idiots" who would hazard crossing the roadworthy amidst traffic, adding it was lone a "matter of clip earlier a kid is deed and the radical who approved it volition person that connected their conscience".

A typical for the applicants, Northern Star Assets Ltd, assured that the steadfast had taken into relationship each objections to this exertion and the erstwhile McDonald's application. The caller program had been revised pursuing discussions with experts, promising it would "not go a root of anti-social behaviour".

Cllr Dave Doyle stated: "Residents privation this tract developed and we are going to make this site. It is scrubland. It is an accidental for employment for radical successful Long Eaton."

Cllr Tim Scott voiced his concerns saying: "This is ripe for processing but not this one. This is not for residents but to seizure radical who would not usually travel disconnected the motorway here. Sausage rolls pull kids and we can't enactment Friesland kids successful danger."

Cllr Ann Mills has accused Derbyshire County Council and Safer Derbyshire of failing the community, claiming they are "not doing their jobs properly" for not opposing a contentious scheme. Meanwhile, Cllr Kevin Miller didn't mince his words, saying: "If it looks similar a work presumption and it smells similar a work station, it is simply a work station. The nearest location is 40 metres away, determination are not capable parking spaces and radical volition conscionable parkland successful beforehand of the houses and propulsion their rubbish away."

He besides highlighted concerns implicit the projected nine-metre-tall advertizing towers, which helium said were "so gangly you tin spot them from the abstraction station".