Drive-thru restaurant at London Road, Sheffield

What was proposed

The application proposed a drive-thru restaurant with servicing, car parking, and hard and soft landscaping.

“The site boundaries consist of a mixture of brick walls and metal fencing, including temporary fencing on the London Road/Broadfield Road frontage. The site has been cleared and consists of a hard standing base with grassed areas. Existing vehicular entry points to and from the site are from London Road and Chippinghouse Road.”

“The proposal is for the erection of a drive-thru restaurant (Use Class E/sui generis) with associated servicing, car parking accessed from London Road/Broadfield Road and hard and soft landscaping.”

Officer report

The site

The cleared site fronts London Road, Broadfield Road and Chippinghouse Road, opposite traditional two-storey terraced homes.

“The development site is a large relatively flat area with boundaries fronting London Road, Broadfield Road and Chippinghouse Road. Chippinghouse Road consists of traditional, two-storey, terraced residential properties opposite the site. Broadfield Road and London Road (A61) consist of largely commercial buildings.”

Officer report

Earlier applications

An earlier drive-thru application was withdrawn, while permissions had been granted for vehicle-related use and a vehicular access.

“Planning permission (25/01003/FUL) for the development of a drive-thru restaurant (Use Class E/sui generis) with associated servicing, car parking and hard and soft landscaping, was withdrawn in July 2025.”

“Planning permission (22/04151/FUL) was granted in December 2023 for the use of land as vehicle hire and sales (Use Class Sui Generis) including erection of a single storey building for office use, erection of vehicle wash bays, provision of boundary treatment, new vehicular access to London Road, 1m high paladin fencing, exit gates to Chippinghouse Road and resurfacing to provide vehicle parking/circulation areas.”

Officer report

Why officers recommended refusal

Officers found that the location raised significant public health concerns and that the building had poor legibility, limited visual interest and a utilitarian appearance.

“Further significant concerns are raised regarding the drive thru’s orientation and design providing poor legibility, as this contributes little meaningful vibrancy to the restaurant area or active site frontage along London Road and Broadfield Road. Thus, the building displays an absence of visual interest and distinctiveness in its architecture, which results in a utilitarian appearance.”

“The layout completely turns its back on Chippinghouse Road creating a poor relationship with the traditional domestic scale properties opposite and resulting in poor connectivity to the residential streets which fails to promote and encourage safe and convenient access to the site by pedestrian’s cyclists and wheelers. These are all adverse impacts which, in the light of paragraph 11 of the NPPF must be considered against the benefits of the scheme.”

Officer report

Who spoke

A councillor spoke against the application, and two people spoke in support.

The committee considered

The committee considered the officer’s report and recommendation, the development plan, national policy and representations.

“96b.5 The Committee considered the report and recommendation having regard to the development plan, the National Planning Policy Framework and other relevant considerations as summarised in the report, now submitted and also having regard to representations made.”

Minutes

The decision

The committee refused the drive-thru restaurant application for the reasons set out in the report.

“96b.6 RESOLVED:- That an application for the erection of a drive-thru restaurant (Use Class E/sui generis) with associated servicing, car parking and hard and soft landscaping at Land North-West Of London Road And Broadfield Road, Sheffield, S8 0ZF (Application No. 25/02698/FUL) be REFUSED for the reasons set out in the report.”

Minutes