Plans lodged for new Costa Coffee drive-thru on former Shrewsbury Sentinel Works site
Plans have been lodged for a drive-thru coffee shop on the car park of Shrewsbury's former Sentinel Works.
A proposal has been submitted to build a new Costa Coffee on the car park of the old factory near Morrisons in Whitchurch Road.
According to a planning application, 15 new full- and part-time jobs would be created.
It comes after Radius Aerospace, the most recent occupier of the site which had 120 members of staff working there, ceased manufacturing in Shrewsbury last year.
The main factory building was built in 1915 and originally manufactured steam-powered lorries before moving on to produce both steam and diesel railway locomotives.
The plant was also used by Rolls-Royce to produce diesel engines between 1956 and 1983.
International car hire chain Enterprise lodged plans last August to turn part of the building into a premises for renting out vehicles.
Access to the Costa drive-thru would be via the same access off Whitchurch Road used for the Morrisons supermarket.
A planning statement on the Costa application said: “Paterson Enterprises Ltd bought the whole site some six years ago. At the time the site was occupied by Radius Aerospace.
“They took the decision to centralise their operations in the UK to their Sheffield factory, gave notice and completed their move in late summer 2024.
“Paterson Enterprises, trading as Morris Lubricants Ltd, the largest family-owned oil company in the UK, are taking the opportunity to utilise some of the site as their distribution and export hub, freeing up space at the Castle Foregate Depot for additional capacity, having recently won some major new contracts.
“The site has been rebranded as Sentinel Trade Park. This is named after the original use of the site by Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd from construction of the original factory and workers cottages, having relocated the business from Scotland in 1915 to build steam trucks and railway locomotives.
“The site is being marketed with flexible options for businesses to acquire accommodation on site.
“The applicant has secured commitments from well-known coffee shop retailer Costa Coffee to occupy the Class E unit with drive-thru facility and is keen to ensure that the interest in occupying the unit is fulfilled.”
It adds: “Drive-thru facilities have become increasingly popular since the Covid-19 pandemic and the Government’s social distancing measures, restricting people to travel to shops and other local amenities.
“The drive-thru facility will allow customers to remain in their vehicles whilst ordering. The drive-thru feature will also permit Costa Coffee to remain open and meet the demand for takeaway coffee.
“The proposed coffee shop will provide employment opportunities within this out-of-centre retail park and new business trade park.
“It is estimated that the proposed development would create 15 new full-/part-time jobs with flexible shifts, the equivalent of eight full time jobs.
“The proposed coffee shop will also provide a valuable facility for shoppers and workers, drivers passing by, and nearby residents. There are wider benefits from having an established business in this prominent, sustainable location. Therefore, the proposed development complies with national and local retail and employment policies.”
To view the application in full visit pa.shropshire.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=SNZGXBTDM2W00.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.