Starbucks want to open a Drive-Thru next to Southport Pier
The proposed development responds to the layout of the existing retail/leisure park. The coffee shop unit is to be located centrally in the park, on the opposite side of the existing McDonald’s unit on Marine Parade and will provide a new and complementary food/drink offer for the area.
The proposal utilises the existing vehicular access point from the Ocean Plaza Access Road. Pedestrian accessibility is maintained to the perimeter of the site, and a new crossing is proposed to enable safe pedestrian access to the Unit. At present there are 79 car parking spaces (including 2 DDA).
The proposed redevelopment will result in a reduction to 28 spaces (including 2 DDA). Existing car parking spaces are 2.4m by 4.8m. Proposed car parking spaces are provided at the same size as existing, with aisles a minimum 6m wide.
Six cycle spaces are provided close to the store entrance for customer use. Servicing for the site is to take place within the site boundaries from the car park.
The modern aesthetic of the proposed Unit will uplift the area while preserving the special interest of Southport Pier as a listed structure, and respecting the setting of the conservation area. The Built Heritage Statement concludes that – ‘The proposed development has been designed to be sympathetic to the setting and significance of the Southport Pier…the proposed development would preserve the special interest of Southport Pier as a Grade II listed building…
The unit would not inhibit an appreciation of the pier from the ground level or feature notably in outward views from the pier deck. It is considered that the proposed development would not cause harm to the setting or the significance of the conservation area or affect the way in which its character and appearance is experienced and understood in this location.’ Being visible from several aspects, materiality is key to the building’s success.
The proposal is designed to reflect the structure of the Pier, evoking its iron bracing through a high quality “cross-hatched” façade in gold-effect metal cladding to provide a dynamic and engaging appearance from all angles. The most prominent building elevations, the ones facing Marine Parade and the car park, will be predominately glazing combined with the feature metal cladding, allowing passers-by to see into the busy store and create an active frontage.
The remaining subservient elevations have been kept functional with graphite black vertical cladding to give the building a different appearance when viewed from the Pier. A single ply membrane flat roof, in light grey, allows for a simple, clean detail which works with the overhanging fascia design.