Could KFC be opening a drive through in Brighton?

A new drive-through restaurant is planned for the car park of Asda at Brighton Marina – and clues in the application suggest it’s going to be a KFC.

The application is from Euro Garages, which has been opening KFC drive-throughs across the country.

The proposed design of the building matches KFC’s other new drive-thrus – and the application says the restaurant’s vegan options have won an award from PETA, which KFC picked up last year.

The application, submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council this month, says: The proposed development comprises the redevelopment of part of the Asda car park to provide a single storey building to be used as both a restaurant and hot food takeaway/delivery, incorporating a ‘drive-thru’ facility, associated car and cycle parking, refuse storage and plant.

“Restaurants fall within Use Class E whilst a hot food takeaway for the sale of hot food where the consumption of that food is mostly off the premises is a sui generis use.

“We consider the proposed use, comprising a mix of these two planning uses, is a sui generis use falling outside of any Use Class.

“As explained above the proposal is for a single storey restaurant with a gross internal area of 202 sq m providing a sit-down diner, a kitchen and external yard area. The building will have a monopitch roof, with a maximum roof height of 5.2m, providing a modern contemporary appearance
which is in keeping with and appropriate to its setting.

“Both the restaurant and the service yard will be uniformly clad in insulated metal panels in grey and white with glazed walling to the customer area.

“The restaurant will be located within the north western corner of the Asda car park in an area presently taken by Asda customer spaces . . . The proposals incorporate changes to part of the existing car park layout (which currently only serves the retail store) and would result in the reduction of overall car parking spaces from 518 (as existing) to 459 (serving both the retail store and the proposed mixed restaurant and hot food takeaway use). This is a loss of 59 car parking spaces.

“The remaining parking bays will be retained for shared restaurant and retail use but orientated so that they are convenient for restaurant customers, who will also be able to use the other car parking spaces in the car park.

“In addition, the restaurant will have six cycle parking spaces in close proximity to the building.

“The restaurant building will be encircled by a ‘drive-thru’ lane with drivers travelling in a clockwise direction. Drivers will place their orders at a speaker post shortly after entering the ‘drive-thru’ lane and then collect their orders from a ‘pick-up’ window on the eastern elevation of the building.

“There will also be a separate collection point for the delivery aggregators (such as Deliveroo and Just Eat).

“The restaurant customer entrance will be at the southern end of the building from a paved area which will also provide external seating.”

Euro Garages is part of the EG Group, which is owned by the Issa brothers, who together with TGR Capital bought Asda Stores Ltd in June this year.