A government inspector has thrown out plans to build a Burger King drive-thru in Newcastle’s West End.
An appeal by developers over proposals to transform the derelict Westgate Road police station with the fast food chain, plus flats, shops, and a dental surgery, has failed this week.
The controversial scheme had previously been rejected by Newcastle City Council in 2020 and now, following a six-day hearing last November, planning inspector Jennifer Vyse has sided with the local authority and refused to overturn that verdict.
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It will come as a relief to local residents who fought hard against the development, which was labelled an “eyesore” and had triggered fears over traffic congestion and worsening obesity problems in a deprived part of the city.
Hadrian Property Investments’ plans would have seen part of the vacant police station torn down to make room for the Burger King, while the remainder of the building would have been converted into 15 new apartments, shops, and a dentist.
But Mrs Vyse concluded in a report issued this week that there were “significant shortcomings” in the project’s design – finding that the “two storey box” Burger King “ does not appear to be based on an understanding of the way the local area looks and works”.
She was also critical of the loss of privacy for residents in neighbouring Lynnwood Avenue that would result from turning the upper floors of the police station into flats.
A council spokesman said the authority was pleased with the outcome and “we look forward to a more suitable use for this important site”, while the developer is now said to be considering its options for the site’s future.
November’s inquiry heard that Newcastle has 136 takeaways per 100,000 people, “significantly more” than the average local authority, and is the 32nd most deprived council area in the country – with the West End wards of Arthur’s Hill, Elswick, Benwell and Scotswood, and Wingrove representing four of the five most deprived parts of the city itself.
A council public health official said it was time to “draw a line in the sand for fast food outlets”, but admitted that the disruption caused by Covid-19 had prevented the authority from enacting stricter policies against the opening of new takeaways.
Consequently, Mrs Vyse found “no meaningful breach” of the council’s rules on health and wellbeing despite the fears and did not use that as a justification for withholding planning permission.
She also found there was “no harm in relation to noise and disturbance” and was not persuaded by arguments that the development would cause an unacceptable impact on road safety or lead to severe congestion.
The developer’s QC Paul Tucker had claimed in November that the Burger King project was the “best real world solution” to regenerate the land and warned that its refusal risked leaving the prominent site mothballed.
Mr Tucker accused the city council of being on the “hunt for unicorns” in hoping that a different plan for the site could be developed.
But Mrs Vyse concluded in her report that while the disused station was “in much need of improvement”, that was “not a reason to allow development that does not represent good design and which would have significant implications for the privacy of existing residents.”
The developer’s agent, Hedley Planning Services, said: “We’re disappointed with the inspector's decision, however there is clear guidance from the Planning Inspectorate that the only impediment to the scheme being allowed is the building design. The appellant are now considering their options.”
