A £900,000 Starbucks drive-thru could be on its way to a service station off a busy roundabout.
Blackburn-based Euro Garages (EG) has lodged plans for the coffee shop which would be located at the existing Rising Bridge service station.
Currently, the services house a McDonald’s restaurant and a Shell petrol station, and the drive-thru would add to the Blackburn Road site, which is just off the A56 Rising Bridge roundabout.
The development would be situated at the back of the businesses and access to the coffee shop would be taken through McDonald’s car park.
The coffee shop and drive-thru would operate 24 hours a day and it is expected that the proposals will create 20 jobs, five full-time and 15 part-time.
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It is unknown when the drive-thru would open as the proposals are at the early stage of planning, but EG hopes to have the development delivered by the first half of next year.
EG planning director, Tom Jeremiah, said: “We are excited to be delivering a new coffee shop drive-thru at the Rising Bridge roadside services.
“We feel that our proposals will complement the existing service area and offer more choice to customers using the A680 and A56.
“The planning application is still in its early stages but the development is programmed to be delivered in the first half of 2020”.
However Rising Bridge county councillor David Stansfield raised concerns about the plans which he said would cause more congestion on an already busy stretch.
Cllr Stansfield said: “The traffic here on the approach to the main roundabout is already very busy.
“So this isn’t a good idea.
“It won’t create a load of jobs either, yes a few, but only if the locals want to take them.
“There’s already a McDonald’s and Shell garage there all on a very busy island.
“So I think it’s a silly place to have a Starbucks and not a great decision to make, as unless you’re going to find a few hundred jobs, you’ll have traffic going in and out and causing more congestion.”
EG did not wish to comment further on these concerns when asked by the Lancashire Telegraph.
The firm was co founded by brothers Mohsin Issa and Zuber Issa - and their first venture was buying a petrol forecourt in Bury for £150,000 in 2001.
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