New Starbucks drive-thru coming to Hadleigh
Some locals have expressed concerns over the coffee shop
A new Starbucks in Hadleigh has been approved but was met with opposing views from councillors.
The decision was reached during a Babergh District Council planning committee meeting earlier this week.
It will see the new drive-through Starbucks being developed along the A1071, to be accessed from Ellen Aldous Avenue.
The well-known brand’s new coffee shop will span just under 200 square metres and create around 20 new jobs in the town.
However, the coffee shop’s approval was met with some scepticism from Cllr Simon Dowling, representing Hadleigh North, who says residents ‘will be disappointed’ with the decision.
He added: “This is sad news for the local people and businesses of Hadleigh, the people who will bear the brunt of an inappropriate development like this.
“I would much rather see this area used for the benefit of the whole town rather than just passing motorists.”
Before the approval, several public comments were posted by residents to the planning portal objecting to the development.
These reflected points raised by Cllr Dowling regarding concerns over safety in light of an increase in traffic, as well as the impact it could have on the cafes and restaurants already in the town.
These issues were discussed at length during the meeting but ultimately councillors did not think there any strong reasons to refuse it.
Cllr Helen Davies, the vice chair of the committee, explained: “While we feel for the local residents we cannot refuse a planning application unless there are strong defendable reasons for doing and unfortunately there weren’t in this case. “