Controversial Starbucks plan gets approval
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to run a 24/7 Starbucks drivethrough coffee shop on a site once plagued by street racing has been approved.
Starbucks applied in March to open a 24/7 coffee shop and drive-through in the car park of the B&M store in Willow Tree Lane Retail Park, in Yeading, Hayes.
For a number of years the car park had been used as a site for car meets and street racing until police in Hillingdon worked with the owners and local residents to deter the car enthusiasts, after complaints of noise, antisocial behaviour and dangerous driving.
The car park is now closed off at 9pm every night to prevent the retail park being used as a venue for the car meets.
A campaign against the Starbucks plan even attracted the backing of Hayes & Harlington MP John McDonnell, who wrote an objection letter to the 24-hour licensing, saying “to grant a 24-hour licence will leave the site insecure and the fear is that the problems of anti social behaviour will return”.
“This site was subject to anti social behaviour over a long period of time,” he added.
“This took the form of large groups of youths congregating on the site late at night and in the early hours of the morning.
“In addition, there were others who used the site to race in their cars, perform stunts, again late at night and into the early hours, which was a cause of considerable noise and disturbance for the local residents.”
The MP also expressed fears that granting a license would encourage others such as Tesco or Burger King to apply for their own licensing extensions.
“There is nothing else open and so to allow this to operate during the night will bring in traffic and noise that my constituents are not currently being subjected to as well, as the potential to open up the site to anti social behaviour again,” the MP added.
In addition, 48 residents and councillors Lindsay Bliss and Jagjit Singh submitted objections on the grounds of prevention of crime and disorder and prevention of public nuisance, two of the four guidelines under which the licensing committee must operate.
One resident cited the Costa Coffee opening hours at the Lombardy Retail Park, off Uxbridge Road, which opens until 7.30pm at the latest.
Construction of the singlestorey Starbucks unit in the car park had already been approved by Hillingdon Council on June 20 and it opened on July 9. According to the Starbucks website, the store is not yet running 24/7, but opens at 6am and shuts at 9pm every day.
The eventual proposal included a relocation of the security gates further down the entrance and an entrance to the Starbucks drive-through and coffee shop.
At a licensing sub-committee meeting on July 11, with representations and presentations lasting around two-and-a-half hours, the sub-committee voted to grant the license with certain conditions, including operating as a drive-through only between 11pm and 5pm.
If the gates are not closed as agreed at 9.30pm, it will be the duty of the license holder to contact site management. Customers will also be advised verbally and on signs to leave the premises in a quiet manner.
Mobile security and CCTV with facial and number plate recognition were also insisted upon. If the CCTV is not in good order or the bollards and knee roll are “not in working order”, or the barrier is not lowered, Starbucks will not be allowed to operate.