Construction begins on a drive thru coffee shop next to Southport Pier

Work has started on the construction of a drive-thru coffee shop on the Ocean Plaza next to Southport Pier.

Contractors have started to dig up part of the car park on the right as you go underneath the Pier.

The Site
The site is part of the car park, which forms part of Southport's Ocean Plaza Retail Complex.

Proposal
Erection of a coffee shop with drive through facility, external seating area, landscaping and
alterations to car parking

History
There is no specific planning history for this site. The car park forms part of the original planning
application for the retail complex.

Consultations
Highways Development Design
No objection subject to conditions.

Environmental Health
No objection subject to conditions for odour control for kitchen extraction systems and noise control
for any plant and machinery to be installed.

Natural England
No objection

Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service
No comments received.

Neighbour Representations
Representation received from United Utilities requesting a condition to be attached to any approval
seeking the submission of a surface water drainage scheme.

Policy Context
The application site lies within an area designated as Southport Seafront and Ocean Plaza Retail Park
in the Sefton Local Plan which was adopted by the Council in April 2017.

Assessment of the Proposal
The application site falls within a number of Local Plan designations namely the Ocean Plaza Retail
Park (where LP policy ED2 is applicable), the Southport Seafront (policy ED8), the central Southport
regeneration area (policy ED6) while it also lies adjacent to the Grade II listed pier and the Promenade
Conservation Area.

Retail Impacts
In respect of the Retail Park and the implications of policy ED2 the application is supported by a
sequential test that considers multiple premises and sites within the primary shopping area of
Southport as well as other town centre locations. The reasoning given for the discounting of all of
the sites is set out clearly with the reasoning in the main being the inability to provide for a drive
through lane (which is seen as a requirement of this development, applying 'reasonably flexibility'),