Plans for new Burger King drive-thru at Kirkstall Retail Park in Leeds sparks traffic concerns

An application was submitted to build the fast food takeaway restaurant at Kirkstall Retail Park last year.

The drive-thru would be situated by the Morrisons garage and built on land that is currently fenced off. The company behind the development have said that if the plans were to be approved then the new restaurant could provide around 40 new jobs.

19 objections have been lodged on the Leeds City Council planning portal, with most flagging concerns about the impact on the traffic volume the development will have.

Concerns have already been raised about the issues of traffic at the A65 junction by Kirkstall Leisure Centre, which has been the scene of numerous accidents in recent weeks.

One objector wrote: “I live in Kirkstall, just past the Abbey, and regularly use this area to shop and visit amenities. I am concerned about the ability of the road network to cope with a drive-thru restaurant, there are already major problems that need addressing with the main and subsidiary junctions in terms of volume of traffic.

“There will also be a higher population soon when the new homes are finished at Kirkstall Lights, bringing more traffic.”

Others said they felt there is already enough takeaway options in the area and that the development could affect the many buses that use nearby Savins Mill Way.

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A report from the council’s highways department states that the traffic impact has been assessed, saying: “It is considered that the development would not result in a severe impact, subject to mitigation being implemented to improve the junction’s signal timings / operation and technology. A S106 contribution of £30,000 is therefore required.”

Ed Richards, director of retail warehousing at NewRiver, said: “We are delighted to have submitted a planning application for the creation of a drive-thru Burger King for our asset, Kirkstall Retail Park, which if granted, will provide a new convenient and accessible national drive-thru food and drink offer whilst complementing the existing operators.

“The proposed new provision would create c. 40 additional jobs and would activate surplus land within the asset.”

A planning decision is expected “in the coming months”.