Permission granted for drive-through in Barrack Road, Christchurch

Richard Carr’s company Fortitudo now has planning permission to build a drive-through restaurant in Barrack Road.

The restaurant is earmarked to go on empty land on the ‘advertising corner’ at Jumpers Roundabout on Barrack Road.

Fortitudo launched the appeal following BCP Council’s ‘non-determination’ of the application.

It was granted by a planning inspectorate on Monday, May 20.

Speaking on the decision, Richard Carr said: “We’re all well aware that we live in a conurbation that is 50 per cent sea, and there isn’t very much brown field land.

“Clearly the objectors were going on about how it was going to affect them, but 30,000 people a week will probably use that facility, it will employ 60 people, it’s a piece of brown field land that obviously needed to be redeveloped.

Richard Carr (Image: Daily Echo)

“We tried twice to get residential development on it, and it was turned down twice. This was really the last thing It can be used for.

“In my opinion, common sense has prevailed.”

BCP Council confirmed in a Statement of Case to the planning inspectorate that if it had determined the application then it would have refused the application on five grounds.

However, following the submission of further evidence by Fortitudo prior to the appeal hearing, the local authority confirmed it would withdraw its objection to the proposal with regard to the creation of safe and acceptable access.

Mr Carr said: “Clearly, we had a very experienced planning barrister who BCP planners released we had, and they obviously realised their arguments had to be legally sized.

“So, I think that’s why BCP changed their footing.”

Mr Carr added: “There is a really important point to be remembered here - the last thing developers want to do is to spend money on having to go to appeals because it’s a waste of time of ourselves, it costs us more money and it costs the local authority more money.

“The council needs to remember that we have the 11th or 12th largest unitary authority in the country, and economic development is extremely important.”