Hartlepool set for new drive through Starbucks

Planners have given the green light to a new drive thru Starbucks coffee shop in Hartlepool.Permission has been granted by Hartlepool Borough Council to the new development on the Tees Bay retail park, off Brenda Road. It would mark the coffee giant’s first outlet in Hartlepool and is expected to create 15 new jobs Hartlepool council granted the proposal full planning permission, and attached a number of conditions that must be met before work can begin.They include a three-year time limit for work to begin and to submit details of external finishing materials, and schemes for the disposal of foul and surface water for approval. The council’s decision notice also dictates the opening hours. It states: “The premises shall only be open to the public between the hours of 05.30 and 23.00, Mondays to Sunday, in the interests of the amenities of the occupants of neighbouring properties.” The Starbucks plan is linked to wider extension plans by the retail park’s owners.In May, four additional retail units and car parking were granted approval by the council. Sports Direct is expected to be one of the new tenants, with the others still to be confirmed. The expansion is expected to create between 50 and 167 new full-time or equivalent jobs.