Plans for a new drive-thru coffee shop on the A1 near Grantham are submitted
A new coffee shop with drive-thru has been proposed for Foston Services on the A1.
Motor Fuel Limited has submitted a planning application to SKDC to build a coffee shop with a drive-thru, associated car parking and landscaping at the service station on the A1 northbound.
It is proposed that the coffee shop will be open seven days a week, 5am till 11pm, and that similar outlets typically create 18 full-/part-time jobs with flexible shifts, including 11 full-time employees.
The proposed development will reduce the on-site parking spaces from 34 to 23.
The building proposed to be demolished was originally constructed alongside a petrol station and the Foston Motel.
It was then changed to a private dwelling and became a Little Chef restaurant.
The Little Chef closed in 2007, becoming Beakers Roadside Restaurant before changing to LJ’s Diner in 2012. LJ’s closed a short while later in 2013.
The building is now home to a catering company.
The submitted application said: “Foston Services is an existing motorist service area including a petrol station and former restaurant serving the A1 strategic road.
“It is a long established site which has been meeting the needs of motorists for many years.
“The historic loss of the restaurant/café on site means that the site does not meet the modern standards or motorists’ expectations of such a service area, and the proposed coffee shop will assist in meeting motorists’ needs providing the opportunity for nourishment and rest.”
The coffee shop would also include an indoor seating area, as well as an outdoor seating area.
The application continued: “This proposal seeks to make best use of a previously developed parcel of land, enhancing the service area for motorists whilst respecting the countryside location.”
The site also includes an Esso petrol filling station with two HGV pump islands.
Motor Fuel Group is the largest independent forecourt operator in the UK, with around 900 stations nationwide.
