Green light for new Taco Bell drive thru

A new Taco Bell will open at Damon's restaurant

The takeaway will be on the site of Damon’s Restaurant at Beighton, which was recently given planning permission to change into a pub.

It will include outdoor seating and car parking and with 20 full time and 10 part time employees working 11am to 11pm every day.

New double yellow lines will be painted on Sevenairs Road to reduce congestion but councillors fear this will push parking onto nearby residential streets.

Fifteen local residents had objected and councillors had a number of worries but the plans were approved by a small majority.

Coun Chris Rosling-Josephs said: “I feel this particular development is far too close to the houses, which are predominantly elderly people and families, and also the school.

“There’s a big problem with traffic in the area and this will exacerbate that. This is in the wrong place and should be in Crystal Peaks or Drakehouse retail park.

“If it was just a restaurant I wouldn’t have a problem but a drive thru has loud speakers and they will be heard until 11pm. We can hear the McDonalds speakers near Damon’s so if you can hear those, you will certainly hear Taco Bell’s.”

Coun Dianne Hirst said: “I have real concerns about this. There is already a lot of takeaways and restaurants in that area and we have problems with childhood obesity and traffic.”

Coun Bob McCann added: “If you are putting double yellow lines on both sides you have to surmise the parking will migrate on to the estates and cause more problems.”

And Coun Peter Garbutt said: “I would be very unhappy to find myself next to a drive thru with extra noise, smell and traffic. I’m also very concerned the double yellow lines will move the traffic problem somewhere else.

“Drive thrus create CO2 pollution and we already have a childhood obesity problem which we really have to address.”

But Coun Peter Price was in support of it. “A couple of years ago they turned the Pheasant pub at Sheffield Lane Top into a drive thru KFC across the road from a school and surrounded by houses and you wouldn’t know it was there. I don’t see a problem with this. I’ve never heard of these loud speakers and can’t believe it’s an issue.”