Residents protest plans for 'Starbucks' drive-thru, Elgar Retail Park

The proposed coffee shop, rumoured to be a Starbucks, would be built on the car park of Elgar Retail Park.

But neighbours fear the scheme will cause more incidents of anti-social behaviour and add extra traffic to the already often-congested Blackpole Road.

They also worry that noise from the drive-thru’s tannoy system will drift into neighbouring gardens.

A peaceful protest took place on Saturday afternoon (September 16), organised by Warndon city councillor Jill Desayrah.

Cllr Jill Desayrah and protestors at the entrance to Elgar Retail Park (Image: NQ)

The protestors even kept their cool when a sign was kicked from the hand of Matt Brown by an angry passer-by - underlining residents’ concerns about anti-social behaviour.

And traffic at the entrance to the retail park ground to a halt at times - not because of the protest but, again, helping those who had gathered with placards to make their point.

READ MORE: Trees will be lost and 'replaced by twigs' to make way for new city 'Starbucks'

Cllr Desayrah said: “We are protesting because we want to let people know our thoughts on these plans.

“It’s gridlock here as it is, which is part of a wider issue that we still need to tackle. We just don’t want another drive-thru - it would only make it worse.

Gridlocked traffic during the protest on Saturday afternoon (Image: NQ)

“We’d also be losing a row of gorgeous trees - it’s really not on.”

Neighbour Roger Groves said he complained to the council about the traffic on Blackpole Road four years ago, adding: “It’s progressively getting worse - we’re not being awkward.”

Matt Brown, who lives on the estate that faces the retail park, said: “We’re going to lose all of these lovely London plane trees and see them replaced by twigs - it’s madness.

Trees that would be lost if the drive-thru gets planning approval (Image: NQ)

“There are always spaces in the car park but the gridlock around the entrance is so bad that people think it’s full, so they come and park on our estate. We get loads of them.

“But we’re not going down without a fight.”

According to the plans, which are yet to come before Worcester City Council's planning committee, 35 car parking spaces would be lost to the new drive-thru, although 11 would be provided elsewhere at the retail park.