Bradford approves 24-bay EV charging hub and Starbucks on previously vacant land

Plans for the construction of a 24-bay electric vehicle (EV) charging facility in Bradford have received official approval. Developers stated that the bays, located on a long-vacant plot off Valley Road, would be situated in a “highly accessible location” within the city centre. The proposals also encompass the establishment of a drive-thru Starbucks coffee shop on the same site. Planning officers who granted approval for the scheme commented that the development would utilize a “vacant site that has been undeveloped for many years” and stimulate the economy through job creation. Metalcraft Development LTD submitted these plans earlier this year, and Bradford Council approved them this week. The company had previously obtained permission to create a smaller EV charging hub, consisting of 11 charging points, on the site, which is currently designated as a car park. The planning application indicated that the drive-thru coffee shop would “form a complementary addition to the EV charging bays, providing an amenity for customers whilst they charge their vehicles, as well as for visitors and employees of the existing commercial and retail units within the vicinity of the application site”. It further stated that the project “represents a significant capital investment in the local area and will secure the comprehensive redevelopment of an underutilised surface-level car park”. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the planning officers who approved the scheme acknowledged that the site had originally been allocated for city centre housing. They remarked: “Within the Little Germany and Cathedral Quarter, there are several other sites allocated for housing.“The capacity to provide housing within the wider allocation is therefore not severely prejudiced by the proposed development.”