The town that said no more coffee: Furious locals battle plans for a FIFTH Starbucks in their area

Furious residents person fought against plans for a 5th Starbucks successful their country which was acceptable to beryllium built implicit parking bays successful the town.  

A bid was submitted to conception the 24-hour java store astatine Ashford Retail Park successful Sevington, Kent.

The 535-space car parkland would person been reduced by 43 parking bays if the plans had been approved.

However, the connection was rejected pursuing furious objections from locals, who argued the country has much than capable java shops already.   

Bruce Field, who visits the out-of-town tract regularly from New Romney, pointed retired that the tract is already location to Greggs, Costa, and a cafe wrong Dunelm.

Had the plans been approved, the tract would besides person go the 5th Starbucks outlet successful Ashford town.  

The 65-year-old told KentOnline: 'We request the parking, we can't bash with little parking present due to the fact that it is ever busy.

'We person java shops already. It would enactment maine disconnected coming here, I would spell to Folkestone instead.'

Locals besides raised concerns astir the magnitude of litter successful the country which they assertion would beryllium made worse by the java shop.

One of the objections, written by Suzanne Saxby, said: 'There are already radical incapable to parkland astatine the Retail Park who are parking successful the surrounding roads, which is dangerous, the retail parkland cannot spend to suffer immoderate parking. 

'There is litter from the existing shops, a thrust done with nary wherever to parkland and bask the beverages would summation this. 

'There are presently nary different 24 hr concern present truthful determination is nary request for a 24 work and the roadworthy sound created by cars utilizing the tract astatine nighttime would beryllium unpleasant for residents who are already subjected to the roadworthy noise.' 

At weekends, the car parkland is engaged with shoppers and tin often scope its capacity, locals claimed. 

Starbucks said the institution had an statement successful spot with the owners of the retail park, saying the nonaccomplishment of spaces would not detrimentally impact the existing parking proviso astatine the site, KentOnline reported.

However officers astatine Ashford Borough Council disagreed. A study by the assembly said: 'The projected improvement has not satisfactorily demonstrated that capable off-street parking would beryllium provided to service the caller unit, nor that capable parking proviso would beryllium retained for the wider retail park.

'As a result, the connection has the imaginable to pb to further on-street parking successful the surrounding area, resulting successful road information concerns and inconvenience for different roadworthy users. 

'Furthermore, it has not been demonstrated that the improvement could beryllium adequately serviced without causing adverse impacts connected road safety.'

Ashford is presently location to 4 different Starbucks cafes, successful the town  centre, Designer Outlet, railway presumption and wrong Cineworld.

The caller subdivision was expected to make 20 jobs for the area.

However 7 comments connected the readying portal raised objections to the plans. 

Another objection came from Jon Whetlor, who wrote: 'Littering on the A2070 and roads astir existing accelerated nutrient outlets has go a important problem, and the proviso of this installation volition summation litter successful the area. 

'Our areas of interest would beryllium on Barrey Road and Church Road wherever users of the projected thrust done whitethorn parkland whilst drinking coffee. '

Steve Campkin besides suggested that Starbucks should beryllium made to 'employ a litter picker' if the plans were approved.