Drive-through McDonalds, Taco Bell and Costa to be built in Darlington

Councillors on Darlington Borough Council’s planning committee U-turned on their previous intention to refuse the scheme after being reassured by officers over the impact it will have on the area. 

The proposal was previously in doubt after concerns were raised over the negative impact it would have on nearby trade and the town centre - but members U-turned and agreed to approve the application at a meeting on Wednesday. 

Also included in the plans for Faverdale Industrial Estate are a new tanning salon, vets and a ‘bulky goods’ store similar to Wickes to add to the new Lidl supermarket nearby.

Work is underway to open a drive-through Starbucks and Home Bargains store at the site, as developers hope to improve retail and food outlets in the area. 

A planning meeting in July heard how residents were divided in their support and objection to the proposal, however the majority of residents were in favour.

Previous plans for a large Tesco supermarket and petrol station were pulled over the “profound effect on Cockerton and the town centre”, planning officer David Coates said. But he stressed the need for new facilities to serve the expanding West Park estate.

He added: “While there’s an impact on Cockerton there’s a huge amount of development which needs to be serviced in a particular way and Cockerton in its current form won’t do it. As West Park builds out, and because of the limited offer in Cockerton, people are reaching out to Bishop and West Auckland to go to supermarkets.”

Read next: 

• Thousands buy train fares at Durham and Darlington despite ticket office closure bid
• Boy, 10, completes Darlington fun run raising money for Down's Syndrome group​
• Work on notorious County Durham crossroads to begin in October, council confirms​

For more content from The Northern Echo, purchase a Premium Plus Digital Subscription for just £6 for 6 months until August 14.

This was backed up by data collected by Brinkburn and Faverdale councillor Scott Durham, whose local survey received 370 responses and found 70 per cent were in favour. 

However, despite the majority support, those who responded raised concerns about an increase in traffic, anti-social behaviour and litter, and less about the impact on Darlington town centre and Cockerton. 

Cockerton councillor Jan Cossins said she is now reassured about the potential impacts of the scheme after receiving further information from the council’s planning officers.

“If we had taken the decision to refuse last time, my daughter would have killed me because she loves Taco Bell,” she added.