Plans for new retail units for vacant land in Burntwood
Plans for new retail units have come forward for vacant land in Burntwood town centre.
Planning permission has previously been granted for KFC and Starbucks drive-thrus at the site off Milestone Way, but the consent has expired for the chicken restaurant branch.
Now a new planning application has been submitted to Lichfield District Council, which includes the KFC unit. Changes to the approved Starbucks are also proposed under a separate application so it can integrate into wider plans for the site.
A design and access statement submitted to the council stated that three drive-thrus were earmarked for the site, as well as a 1,399m2 leisure/ retail unit and a 2,328m2 unit for retail/superstore use. The statement said: “The site has been owned by the applicant for some time, and a number of planning applications have been submitted for different proposals over the years.
“The main challenge to development of the site is the high risk of unexploded ordinance (UXO) in the ground, associated with a former munitions factory in the local area. Now, works to remediate the UXO risk have recently commenced in preparation for the development of the proposals submitted in this application.
“The application is for the erection of three buildings of total 4,403m2 (in addition to the existing approval for Starbucks), with two buildings under use class E, two buildings to operate as hot-food take-away drive-thru units (sui generis), all with associated parking, landscaping, service yards, access roads, perimeter fencing, and external lighting. The proposals are for a high quality retail lead scheme that fulfils the local authorities’ ambitions for an extension to Burntwood’s town centre.
“A number of potential tenants have already been identified for the other proposed units, with the size and massing of the proposed buildings being informed by the tenant requirements. The applicant’s ambition is to have the units occupied and the site in use on completion of the construction works.”
