Council U-turn on Burger King drive-thru plan

Plans for a Burger King drive-thru near a busy junction have been given the go-ahead despite concerns over road safety.

Planning permission has been approved for the food outlet at Kirkstall Retail Park in Leeds after the city council made a U-turn on its decision last month to refuse it.

Fears had previously been raised that opening an outlet there would worsen problems at the nearby road junction.

However, a meeting on Thursday heard council officers were satisfied the impact on traffic would not be sufficient to mean the plans should be turned down.

NewRiver Retail had sought permission for the scheme, saying it would create jobs and bring a disused site near Savins Mill Way back into use.

However, on 5 September Leeds City Council’s South and West plans panel voted to reject the proposals.

A council report warned that the developer would be likely to appeal and lodge a claim against the council for costs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The meeting on Thursday was told highways officers were satisfied the traffic impact of the scheme was not serious enough to refuse permission.

However, panel member and Armley Labour councillor Andy Parnham said he was still concerned about road safety.

“I feel almost like I’m being gaslit and railroaded into making a decision that I’m not prepared to make," he said.

“I just find this baffling. It’s a conduit between three very busy areas of the city.”

Permission was granted on the condition the developers contributed £72,000 for signal and traffic camera improvements near the site.

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