Tim Hortons' drive through gets green light despite brewing up traffic fears

Tim Horton's Coffee Shop will get a drive through in Tryst Road, Stenhousemuir despite objections from Falkirk Council planning committee members Laura Murtagh and Malcolm Nicol

At a meeting of Falkirk Council’s planning committee today members voted to grant permission for the Canadian coffee house chain to open a drive through restaurant on land at Tryst Road, Stenhousemuir.

The plans already had planning permission in principle – for a restaurant with associated parking – granted in November last year.

However, a change to the plans means the premises will now be a drive through – a first for Tim Hortons – open from 7am to 11pm daily, which will be accessed by vehicular traffic from King Street via a shared access with the B&Ms retail unit currently under construction.

While the development itself was welcomed, its location created divided opinion among committee members.

Councillor Laura Murtagh put forward an amendment to refuse the plan on the grounds of the adverse impact it would have on traffic and on parking.

She said: “I would be happy to see a development like this in another location, but a drive through in this location is the wrong thing for this area and I cannot support it.

“It’s next to a residential area and next to a school.”

Councillor Malcolm Nicol, who backed the refusal, said: “This was initially going to be a community restaurant and public house serving the local community and I thought that was a good thing.

“Now we find that the pub is gone and I don’t think that’s a good thing. We have something completely different – a drive through take away. I think we need to be very specific about what we give approval to and I feel a wee bit caught out by this.”

Councillor John McLuckie went along with officers’ recommendations and put forward a motion to grant permission, stating he welcomed the development because the site was an “eyesore” at the moment.

He said: “The road traffic is always going to be a problem there and it’s something the planning committee can’t address.”

It was stated the developer had agreed to provide £20,000 to help fund any traffic monitoring required.

Members voted to accept the proposal by seven votes to five.

This will be Tim Hortons’ second UK premises – the first opened in Glasgow’s Argyle Street in May.

Tim Hortons was founded in 1964 by a professional ice hockey player. Customers at Hortons can order the infamous double-double coffee which comes with two portions of cream and two sugars.