A new coffee drive-thru targeting custom from the M40 has been granted planning permission despite councillors anticipating traffic "chaos". 

Members of Warwick District Council's planning committee were reluctant in giving the green light to proposals for the new shop on the site of the Marriott Hotel, Stratford Road, Warwick.

It is accessed almost directly from the Longbridge roundabout that serves junction 15 of the M40 motorway with the hotel having a shared access with The Peacocks – a private cul-de-sac with residential properties to the east of the hotel. 

There is a Holiday Inn Express, McDonald's and office development nearby, fuelling concern over unsustainable traffic problems and arguments that sufficient provision already exists in the area – Warwick Services, directly accessed from the M40, is around six miles south of junction 15. 

The council's planning report acknowledges the "proposal aims to predominantly serve passing trade from the M40 corridor" but contends that "it would be hard to argue that there are any other town centre or sequentially preferential sites available to accommodate such a use". 

Its conclusion stated: "The principle of a drive-thru coffee shop that would principally serve passing trade is considered acceptable in this location. 

"The proposal would not be out of keeping with the character of the area and the development can be controlled so as to acceptably mitigate any significant impacts on neighbouring residential occupiers. 

"The scheme provides suitable measures to mitigate the highway impacts of the development and officers are satisfied that drainage and ecology matters can be addressed through conditions."

There was no objection from Warwickshire County Council's highways department, although keep clear markings are to be included to prevent those turning back out of the site from blocking the route into Warwick. 

John Holland the county councillor for Warwick West, was far from impressed. 

"Are you really being asked to approve a coffee drive-thru for people who drive down the M40? That's what the report says," he said.

"The photos you were shown of the road are completely misleading. When National Highways designed the Longbridge roundabout, they would not allow queuing on the M40, deliberately designing in queuing on A429. They even have a sensor on this approach road so the previous traffic lights have an all red phase for 10 seconds to let my residents through. 

"I am elected to represent the local highways authority (county council) and our officers clearly should have put in an objection. 

"The traffic congestion there at peak times is completely unreasonable. My residents are held up trying to get to work or take children to school, they just cannot get through to earn an honest living."

Planning committee member Cllr Judy Falp, who also serves on the county council, backed up those thoughts.

"I travel along that road quite a lot and trying to get out on that roundabout is nigh-on impossible at certain times of the day," she said.

"It doesn't have traffic lights. I think the minimum I would want as part of this application, because it is going to increase the traffic going both ways, is traffic lights on that roundabout.

"It is very difficult to object because highways haven't objected but I have sympathy with the residents having used that road a lot. It is gridlocked at times and that won't be helped with a coffee shop." 

Cllr Richard Dickson echoed those sentiments, describing a recent 90-minute wait in the area "for no apparent reason". 

"I don't think that is an unusual experience there," he added. 

"We are reliant on the highways authority saying 'this is okay', yet our lived experience is one that makes us really nervous about it."

But despite the reservations, Cllr Falp admitted there was no choice but to approve the application.

"It is one that I really don't like but I don't feel we have reason to refuse," she said. 

Cllr Katya Dray and Cllr Claire Wightman voted against but permission was sanctioned by the rest of the committee.