New drive-thru restaurant approved for Hartlepool Asda car park, creating around 39 jobs - KFC, Burger King, Subway, Greggs and Starbucks among most likely brands to move in

Proposals were submitted by Euro Garages to Hartlepool Borough Council planning department earlier this year to provide the development at the Asda car park in Marina Way.

It is not yet known which company will operate the site, but existing franchise partners of Euro Garages include KFC, Burger King, Subway, Greggs and Starbucks.

Council planning officers have now approved the proposals, adding they will bring a ‘currently under-utilised area of car park into more active use’.

The restaurant will be near the petrol filling station at the site, opposite the main store and car park, and the development would provide approximately 39 new jobs, according to planning documents.

Tom Jeremiah, planning director at Euro Garages, said: “We are really pleased to have received this planning permission just before the end of the year.

“Despite a turbulent year for the construction industry and the economy in general, we are pleased to still be pursuing new development opportunities and this will help to create additional jobs in the local area”.

Mr Jeremiah was unable to confirm the brand for the new drive-thru at this time but explained: “We will reveal this in due course and we hope to have the new drive thru open before the end of 2021”.

Planning documents from Euro Garages said they will develop and retain the site, which will be operated under a franchisee license and be occupied by a ‘national food service’.

The development will see the overall loss of 74 car parking spaces at the site, while 11 dedicated spaces would be provided to serve the restaurant, along with two disabled bays.

A planning report from Laura Alderson, council senior planning officer, confirmed the plans had been approved, adding they will not have a negative impact on the area.

She said: “The proposed development would see a currently under-utilised area of car park brought into more active use with a form of development that is considered acceptable in this retail and leisure park location.

“The development is not considered to have a negative impact on visual amenity, the amenity of neighbouring land users or highway safety.”

She added the premises will only be able to open to the public between 7am and 11.30pm, in accordance with the Hartlepool Local Plan.

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