Proposals for a new ‘drive-thru’ KFC restaurant in South Tyneside have been given the green light, despite opposition from neighbours.

Last year, South Tyneside Council’s planning department received an application for a section of the Asda supermarket car park in the Boldon Colliery ward.

The section of car park proposed for development is located near Boldon Leisure Park, which already includes McDonald’s and Tim Hortons drive-thru restaurants.

New plans sought permission for a “mixed restaurant and hot food takeaway” and drive-thru, as well as the “associated reconfiguration” of the car park.

A planning application from applicant Euro Garages Ltd confirmed the new drive-thru development would create around 40 jobs, with a mix of full-time and part-time roles.

The proposed occupier for the drive-thru restaurant was not named in the initial planning submission but it was later confirmed as restaurant chain KFC.

During council consultation on the plans more than a dozen public objections were submitted, with the majority from addresses in the Boldon Colliery area.

Objectors raised concerns about the need for “another fast food outlet in Boldon Colliery”, as well as concerns about increased traffic and congestion, parking problems, increased littering and air pollution and impacts on residential amenity.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies however, South Tyneside Council’s planning department approved it on March 17, 2023.

Council planners said the development would be “acceptable in principle” at the location and that there were no objections from highways officers, despite the loss of 39 car parking bays within the Asda car park.

A council decision report said the plans would not have a “significant impact” on air quality and would not give rise to “unacceptable highway safety impacts or severe cumulative impacts on the local road network”.

Council planning officers added the development would be monitored in future and that proposed opening hours for the KFC were 10am to 11pm, compared to some 24/7 business uses nearby.

A planning statement submitted with the application previously claimed the development would not cause any “harmful impacts” in terms of residential amenity and highway safety.

The planning statement added: “The Asda store benefits from an excess in car parking space, the development of an element of the car park as proposed will have no impact on the day-to-day operation of the supermarket”.

According to planning documents, vehicular access to the new KFC, for both customers and servicing, would be via the existing roundabout off the B1298.

There is also car / customer access to the Asda car park from a roundabout off Abingdon Way, including a route that travels through the adjacent car park for the Cineworld cinema and restaurants.

Under planning conditions, the KFC development must be brought forward within three years.

For more information on the planning application or council decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s online planning portal and search reference: ST/0396/22/FUL