New Chichester coffee shop and restaurant with drive-thru due to open off A27

Plans to open a drive-thru coffee shop/restaurant on a former Pizza Hut site have been approved by Chichester District Council.
The former Pizza Hut premisesThe former Pizza Hut premises
The former Pizza Hut premises

The application for the site in Portfield Way, next to the Portfield roundabout, was given the nod during a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday (November 3).

It will include a drive-thru lane, landscaping work and a new entrance to the building.

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The site already houses a McDonald’s and Costa Coffee drive-thru.

Concerns had been raised by Chichester City Council that the drive-thru could lead to traffic queuing onto the main road.

But Kevin Hydes, business director for applicant Tim Hortons UK & Ireland, said the company’s highways consultant had carried out a detailed assessment – submitted to both Highways England and the county highways team – which showed there would be ‘no adverse impact’.

Mr Hydes told the meeting the coffee shop/restaurant would be the first one the company had opened south of London and would create around 50 jobs.

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He added: “We’re keen to bring the development forward as soon as we possibly can.”

There was some discussion among councillors about granting temporary permission while the traffic situation was monitored for a couple of years.

But this route was deemed unreasonable, not least because there had already been a restaurant on the site.

In the end, members gave their unanimous support to the plans.

Peter Wilding (Con, Fernhurst) said: “This will create jobs and economic activity and if we don’t do it we will have an empty building.”