Drive-through coffee shop plan hits stumbling block

Plans for Athlone's first drive-through coffee shop have hit a major speed bump and look unlikely to materialise in the same form after Westmeath County Council asked the developer to omit the drive-through facility as part of revised plans.

The council is unhappy with the design and layout of the current proposals which would see a portion of Golden Island Shopping Centre's car park become home to a drive-through coffee shop.

What was originally envisaged by applicant Int Inv (I) GP Ltd involved “a single storey pavilion drive-through coffee shop for the sale and consumption, on and off the premises of food and beverages” in what's described as the North West quadrant of the car park.

A decision had been expected on the plans, thought to be a first for the Midlands, in recent days, however, the council opted instead to seek further information from the applicant before making a final decision.

The planning authority expressed concern that the proposal due to its “design, layout, and overall arrangement of the built form fails to strengthen and positively enhance the public realm and existing urban grain at this prominent town centre site”.

The local authority asked the applicant Int Inv (I) GP Ltd to address this by omitting the drive-through element, submitting a redesign of the project to incorporate dual aspect and an enhanced streetscape, along with reconsidering the scale and quantity of on-site signage.

Westmeath County Council also requested that a Design Statement be lodged with revised plans, showing how the development will integrate into the surrounding landscape with a particular emphasis on pedestrian/cycle connectivity to Burgess Park and the town centre.

In addition, the local authority requested the opening hours of the proposed development.

The further information request stated that the proposed development will result in the development of car parking within an established 'pocket park' on land which is zoned 'open space' within the Athlone Town Development Plan, and as a result, the council wants a revised site layout which would omit the car parking associated with it.

According to the plans lodged with Westmeath County Council on February 25, the cafe would cover some 207 square metres of space or 2,228 square feet, and would result in the reconfiguration of the existing car park to make way for the building, a vehicle circulation route and a collection point.

The second element of the application concerns “the relocation of 41 car spaces within the North East corner” of the car park and landscaped area.

A photomontage accompanying the application showed that the proposed building would be located in the corner of the car park close to Burgess Park side entrance road, just off the Dunnes, Irishtown roundabout.

A submission in relation to the project from Hamill Architects in Dungannon said the proposal is “inappropriate at this prominent location” in the town centre, and such a project would be more suited to out of town or a less central location. The loss of car parking and vehicular movements generated by the project is also raised in the sole submission.

The applicant has six months to submit the further information requested by the council before a final decision can be made on the project.