Traffic hitch for return of Burger King drive-thru to Morecambe

As we reported in January, Burger King wants to re-open as a drive-thru on the site they originally occupied in Hilmore Way.

Frankie & Benny’s took over the site in 2008, removing the drive-thru and extending into the former drive-thru lanes.

Frankie & Benny’s vacated the site in 2020, and it has remained disused since then.

Burger King now want to re-open a drive-thru on the land, which is owned by Lancaster City Council.

The fast food chain has a restaurant in Morecambe town centre, next to the Arndale Centre, and also opened a new restaurant in Lancaster city centre in October.

The new proposals include plans to reinstate the drive-thru lane at the restaurant, which would wrap around the existing restaurant unit.

The site shares a car park (with a charging regime, albeit free parking for 30 minutes) with neighbouring commercial units including a Domino’s and Body Evolution Gym.

The proposals include two grill bays and dedicated waiting area spaces for use where a food order requires an extended cooking time.

A further two parking spaces would be designated ‘click and collect’ spaces for customers who have pre-ordered their food or for the use of food delivery vehicles (i.e. scooters/mopeds).

Two blue badge spaces would be provided, along with parking for four cycles.

However, city council planning officers have recommended the application be refused by councillors when they meet later this month.

Despite saying the proposals would bring an "empty and deteriorating" site "back into an active economic generating use", they say the scheme fails to provide adequate capacity for vehicles queuing to use the proposed drive through.

They are concerned this would result in queuing vehicles on the shared access road, on the adopted highway Hilmore Way, and across the designated cycleway, leading to queuing traffic, delays, and blocking of access.

"These significant negative impacts on the local highway and cycling network would be detrimental to highway safety," they say.

Lancashire County Council Highways have also objected on traffic grounds, while Environmental Health have recommended refusal, saying there has been no information submitted on noise and odour.

The plans will be discussed at Morecambe Town Hall on March 27.