The owner of a long-standing burger van said he ‘felt like his heart has been ripped out’ after a plan for a drive-thru takeaway in Reading was submitted.
Last year, developers Cube Real Estate submitted an application to Reading Borough Council build a ‘drive-thru pod’ food takeaway on a patch of grass in Scours Lane, Tilehurst, closeby to the Stadium Way Industrial Estate.
However, the owner of a burger van blasted the proposal, fearing the impact on his business.
In an appeal to the council, Barry Elford, who owns Barry’s Burger Van, said: “As we have traded there for 28 years with a catering van I’m so upset by this as this is my living.
“I feel like my heart has been ripped out I’m so worried as trade is hard enough with all the food outlets in the area.
“You’ll be putting a small business out of business again through greed and power of the big chains.”
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His concern was echoed by Alok Sharma, the Conservative MP for Reading West, who asked Reading Borough Council’s planning department to consider Mr Elford’s comments.
The area has a large number of food outlets, including the KFC drive-through at the Reading Retail Park, Val’s Cafe in Oxford Road and Kebab Corner in Norcot Road.
Cube Real Estate stated that the drive-through would have created 25 jobs, and a Sharps Commercial real estates company, writing in support of the plan, said the area is “currently under supplied with somewhere for visitors and local residents to easily go for a drink and something to eat” and that the site is “ideally located” for a new drive-through.
Documents submitted with the application state the drive through would have catered for a mix of drive-thru, takeaway and eat-in diners, with 36 seats indoors.
It would have operated from 5.30am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, with reduced hours on Sunday, and come with 22 car parking spaces for customers, including three disabled bays, three extended bays for vans and five electric vehicle charging bays.
But other neighbours complained about the already large number of businesses in the area, arguing that the drive-through would cause traffic queues “in an already congested area”.
Objecting to the plan, Christopher Smith, who lives in Oxford Road, said: “Vehicles turning right from Oxford Road to Scours lane frequently have to wait, causing traffic to back up on to Norcot Roundabout.
“Often traffic tries to force itself round vehicles waiting to turn by entering the bus stop and or the end of Bramshaw Road.
“Additionally, traffic turning right out of Scours Lane is often having to queue.
“An increase of traffic is only going to compound the current problems, increase noise and the risk of accidents.
“To put additional strain on this junction and in such close proximity to it with the proposed turning can not in anyway be a good outcome.”
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Yet a transport statement submitted by the applicant concluded that journeys for the sole purpose of going to the new takeaway would be minimal.
Furthermore, it would be accessible by foot to visitors of Reading City Football Club, which is further down Scours Lane, and people living in the vicinity.
But the plan will not be decided on as the application was withdrawn on Friday, February 11.
Cube Real Estate has been contacted for a response.
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