Drive-through lane approved for Burger King

A fast food restaurant will create a drive-through lane at its branch in Barnstaple Retail Park after receiving planning approval.

Burger King has been trading at the Station Road site for six months, after taking over the unit formerly occupied by Pizza Hut.

North Devon Council was asked to allow the fast food company to reconfigure the car park into a drive-through lane.

Delivery access will move from the back of the car park and instead go through the retail park's private roads, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The application was opposed by Barnstaple Town Council and initially by Devon Highways, due to "significant congestion" already affecting the roads in the area.

However, the plans were approved after Burger King offered a £13,000 contribution towards a £700,000 improvement plan for the Station Road junction to increase capacity and reduce delays, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Parking spaces will be cut from 30 to 21, and a small section of the restaurant will be demolished.

North Devon Council's planning officers said it "would have [the] potential to contribute positively towards the economy of Barnstaple".

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