Great Western Coffee Shop

BBC, Scotland (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4P9pbN413tf56Q719Q5HgqG/should-we-limit-the-number-of-people-accessing-ben-nevis)


From BBC Wales (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58283816)


We have "honeypots" in our part of the world too - they used to be Stonehenge, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon and Windsor Castle - but that may have changed this year as holiday makers have moved from mostly folks from overseas to mostly locals.   Hence the big push up Snowdon and Ben Nevis.

Is Dunkery Beacon swarming?  Yes Tor needing a booking system?  Worcestershire Beacon wearing down?

Woodhenge growing in popularity while Stonehenge shrinks in numbers?  Melksham Spa booming while Bath Spa implodes?  Bradford-on-Avon full while Startford-on-Avon empty?

Well the centre of Bath feels as busy as it was pre-pandemic to me.

Torbay is very busy with no vacancy signs everywhere. The six hotels, two proposed, three under construction and one opened (May). The open hotel is a Hampton by Hilton which operates a world-wide loyalty scheme has been full since lockdown ended. At ground level there is a new piano bar, Elton's, which is packed in the evenings. The new hotel has encouraged nearby businesses to up their game. A micro gin distillery is planned a few doors away. The Imperial is upgrading to regain 5* status. One of the proposed hotels, The Palace is intended to be 5*. The pandemic put paid to the casino but I could see it returning. Other hotels are also upgrading.

There is also a pub been refurbished as a swingers club with a dungeon with a suspension cage and other props, stage, glory holes and  second bar where the customers are naked. The local paper has been agog with pictures and apparently customers come from all over the south west.

In Paignton Extreme Circus has put up the biggest tent I have ever seen. The Redcliffe is making it's rooms fewer and bigger to get 5* status.

A Bank Holiday Monday look around locally - and all sorts of imbalances when I checked the station

* 10 people joined and 4 left the train that called at 10:02; train manager tells me lots on at Trowbridge and we need more trains
* Queuing out onto the main road for McDonalds drive through
* Rubbish bags at station overflowing (if Jo and team reading, I fixed that)

but then
* First 273 bus of the day nearly empty at what is normally peak pensioner time
* Just 1 car in the car park at Melksham Station
* No-one headed in or out of the Melksham Hub Cafe

With McDonalds not worth the wait on my way back from the station, went to Greggs' in Hampden Park business area - even there a queue, but a short one.

I was going to write about the beekeeper I recently met – English, but works exclusively in California and New Zealand, because commercial beekeeping isn't really a thing here – but I see it's not honey, honey.

Driving through Melksham a few months back, I got caught in traffic caused by that McDonald’s drive through. Clearly a problem there.

Should these be allowed on the grounds that they encourage car travel? Or should we replace them with walk through or cycle through versions?

I would prefer carrots to sticks.  At one stage earlier "in Covid", McDonalds was open only for drive through and they were not offering cycle through or walk through (no horse riding through either) and that certainly was not clever.  You can cycle / walk in and take away now from the main counter - though cycling being slower and walking slower still, the food would likely be cold by the time you got it home.  Going to pick up your takeaway by bus is likely to be ... impractical ...

I might be unreasonable to prevent use of EXISTING drive though fast food outlets, that were presumably legal and permitted when they first opened.
I would however prohibit the opening of any more such outlets by refusing planning permission.

Under what statute law, planning regulation or local government policy?

I had in mind preventing new drive through establishments through planning law.

That would require new legislation

It may be possible for local planning authorities to implement it through local plans, however it might need a change to the National Planning Policy Framework (planning guidance). No change to planning legislation would be required however,   

That was also my suggestion. I doubt that new legislation would be needed. It would be reasonable to refuse planning permission for any new drive drive through fast food outlets under existing local and national government policies and guidelines regarding sustainable transport choices.

Cycling in a town like Melksham is likely to be just as quick as driving from retail outlet to home. Even if not, the difference in time would not be big enough to affect the heat of the food.