Plan for new coffee road on M40 sparks fears of ‘traffic chaos’.

A new coffee route option off the M40 has been given planning permission despite councilors anticipating traffic “chaos”. Members of Warwick District Council’s planning committee were reluctant to give the green light to proposals for the new store on the site of the Marriott Hotel, Stratford Road, Warwick.

Accessed almost directly from the Longbridge roundabout, which serves junction 15 of the M40, the hotel shares access with The Peacocks – a private cul-de-sac with residential properties to the east of the hotel.

There is a Holiday Inn Express, a McDonald’s and an office development nearby, fueling concerns about unsustainable traffic problems and arguments that there is already sufficient provision in the area – Warwick Services, accessed directly from the M40, is at about six miles south of junction 15.

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The council’s planning report acknowledges that “the proposal seeks to predominantly serve through trade from the M40 corridor” but argues that “it would be difficult to argue that there are other town centers or other sequential preferential locations available to accommodate such of use”.

His conclusion stated: “The principle of a drive-thru cafe which would mainly serve the transient trade is considered acceptable at this location.

“The proposal would not be inconsistent with the character of the area and development can be controlled so as to acceptably mitigate any significant impacts on neighboring residential occupiers.

“The scheme provides adequate measures to mitigate the motorway impact of the development and officers are satisfied that the drainage and ecology issues can be addressed through the conditions.”

There was no objection from Warwickshire County Council’s highways department, although clear markings must be included to prevent those returning from the site blocking the route to Warwick.

John Holland (Lab), the county councilor for Warwick West, was far from impressed.

“Are you really being asked to approve a drive-thru coffee for people driving on the M40? That’s what the report says,” he said.

“The photos you have been shown of the road are completely misleading. When National Highways designed the Longbridge roundabout they did not allow queuing on the M40, deliberately designing queuing on the A429. They even have a sensor on this approach road so the previous traffic lights turn red for 10 seconds to let my residents through.

“I am elected to represent the local highways authority (county council) and our officers should have raised an objection.

“The rush hour traffic congestion there is completely unreasonable. My residents are stopped trying to go to work or take their kids to school, they just can’t make an honest living.”

Councilor Judy Falp (Whitnash Residents Association, Whitnash), a member of the planning committee who also sits on the county council, echoed these thoughts.

“I travel that road quite a bit and trying to get out on that roundabout is almost impossible at certain times of the day,” she said.

“It doesn’t have a traffic light. I think the minimum I would like as part of this application, because it will increase traffic in both directions, is the traffic light on that roundabout.

“It’s very hard to object because the highways didn’t object, but I have sympathy because the residents used that road a lot. It gets stuck sometimes and that won’t be helped with a coffee shop.”

Councilor Richard Dickson (Lib Dem, Kenilworth St John’s) echoed those sentiments, describing a recent 90-minute wait in the area “for no apparent reason”.

“I don’t think it’s an uncommon experience there,” he added.

“We rely on the highways authority saying ‘it’s fine’, however our lived experience is one that makes us really nervous.”

But despite his reservations, Cllr Falp admitted he had no choice but to approve the application.

“It’s one that I really don’t like, but I don’t think we have any reason to turn it down,” she said.

Councilor Katya Dray (Lab, Warwick Saltisford) and Councilor Claire Wightman (Lab, Warwick All Saints & Woodloes) voted against, but permission was sanctioned by the rest of the committee.

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