Traffic concerns over plan for Starbucks in Camelon

Twenty objections have been made to the application for the new restaurant/coffee shop, on Glasgow Road, which was submitted by Mungo Park Ltd, with Starbucks the proposed operator.

The plans show that, if permission is granted, the coffee shop will have 16 parking spaces, electric vehicle charging, cycle parking and landscaping.

The application was to have been dealt with by planning officers using delegated powers, as it is in a commercial area that already has several supermarkets, a drive-thru MacDonalds and a leisure centre.

But two councillors, Provost Robert Bissett and Councillor Brian McCabe, have called for the application to be looked at by the planning committee.

Provost Bissett said he wanted to “allow consideration of any potential impacts on parking provision and traffic generation in the area”.

Mr McCabe said: “As elected member for Denny/Banknock I have serious concerns regarding the traffic impact of an additional drive-thru on the main road into Falkirk from the west.

“This road is already seriously impacted by frequent tailbacks caused by traffic exiting and entering the Tesco/McDonalds units. This decision should be considered by elected members and not under delegated powers.”

Many of the objections focus on the busy nature of Camelon Road and there are fears that a new coffee shop will add to the number of vehicles.

But others say that it is unlikely to attract many new visitors and is more likely to be used by drivers who are already on the road or using the local businesses.

There are no objections from the council’s transport planning unit or from Network Rail.

Falkirk Council’s planning committee will consider the application on Wednesday at a meeting starting at 10am in Grangemouth Community Education Unit, Abbots Road, Grangemouth. The meeting will also be livestreamed on Falkirk Council’s YouTube channel.