A BID to build a new Starbucks drive thru on the outskirts of Glasgow’s low emissions zone has been labelled as ‘absurd’ by a prominent politician.

An application has been lodged with council chiefs to construct the new café within a car park in Crown Street near to a church, library, health centre and a Co-op.

The move has been blasted by Labour MSP Paul Sweeney, who says giving it the green light would compromise the effectiveness of the New Gorbals masterplan – as well as contradicting the council’s bid to make the city centre a ‘greener’ place.

Mr Sweeney said: “The New Gorbals masterplan has been one of the few successes of urban planning in Glasgow in recent years. The area is an increasingly attractive and desirable place to live precisely because it aims to restore an urban townscape with active retail street frontage. This proposed drive thru Starbucks would be entirely contrary to those efforts and ambitions.”

Glasgow Times:

Bosses at a local place of worship have also objected to the plan – which has been lodged by Euro Garages Ltd - saying it will cause pollution and bring an unwanted volume of vehicles to the area.

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Gorbals Parish Church posted a statement online, adding: “We have submitted an objection as we believe this resulting pollution, litter and increasing traffic are to the detriment of the community.”

The congregation also says it believes emissions from idling cars waiting to be served would pose a health concern in an area with an already high incidence of respiratory diseases.

Mr Sweeney echoed their fears, saying the new drive thru plan also flies in the face of the new LEZ (low emissions zone) project being championed by the council.

The MSP added: “It is absurd that we would even countenance a drive thru Starbucks in an area so close to Glasgow city centre when we are seeking to lower our climate emissions, promote public transport and repopulate Glasgow’s formerly thriving inner city.

“I would encourage all those Glaswegians who are determined to defeat this proposal to submit a planning objection to the council on the grounds that it runs contrary to the objectives of the City Development Plan and the new National Planning Framework before the deadline of May 22.”

The application comes after councillors decided last year to make the building of drive thru businesses more difficult in Glasgow by introducing stricter planning regulations.

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New guidance was put in place in November to “prevent additional drive thru businesses within town and local centres which do not include existing retail parks or large areas of surplus car parking with existing car-borne traffic".

There are currently no other objections lodged on the Glasgow City Council website.

Euro Garages Ltd and Starbucks have been approached for comment.