Starbucks drive-thru will provide “significant investment” in neglected area of city

A planning application for a new café off Valley Road, and opposite Forster Square Retail Park, has just been submitted to Bradford Council.

Plans to create a 24-space electric vehicle charging hub at the little-used car park have already been approved, and the new plans say the coffee business will “provide an amenity while people charge their vehicles”.

The site is in a section of Valley Road that has long been dominated by empty space and, despite being opposite a retail park and just a few minutes walk from The Broadway shopping centre, little investment.

More than 10,000 people already get the Yorkshire Post newsletter - join them here

The planning application has been submitted by Metalcraft Development LTD, the Bradford-based company that was granted permission for the EV charging bays on the site earlier this year.

Although the planning statement makes no mention of what business will operate the drive thru, blueprints included in the application clearly show the Starbucks branding.

The application says: “The proposals involve the delivery of a 24-bay ultra-fast EV charging hub occupying a highly accessible location towards the northern edge of Bradford city centre.

“This element of the proposals will support the transition towards ultra-low emission vehicles in line with established local and national objectives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the negative impacts of climate change.

“The proposals also include the delivery of a drive-thru coffee shop to the eastern boundary of the site, which will form a complementary addition to the EV charging bays, providing an amenity for customers whilst they charge their vehicles, as well as for visitors and employees of the existing commercial and retail units within the vicinity of the application site.

“The proposed drive-thru unit is therefore considered to constitute an entirely appropriate land use within this city centre location that will form a complementary addition to the existing and consented range of uses within the locality.

“Furthermore, the current application proposals represent significant capital investment in the local area and will secure the comprehensive redevelopment of an underutilised surface level car park and will therefore fully accord with established policy objectives aimed at maximising the re-use of previously developed sites and making more efficient use of land.

“The proposed development would also generate a number of additional job opportunities for local people in both the operational and construction phases of development.”

A decision on the application is expected next month.