Costa in bid to open doors to new Fife cafe at 5:00am

Fife councillors have rejected a bid to extend the opening hours of a proposed Costa coffee outlet over concerns that it would affect community amenity.
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Costa

Members of the central and west planning committee opted to throw out the 5:00 am bid by PVY Ltd to extend the opening hours at the retail development at Macdonald Square in Halbeath.

The original plan for the new units, including a Burger King drive-through as well as the coffee shop, had been approved in October with a condition that they limited operating hours between 7:00am and 11:00pm Monday to Sunday.

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Officers imposed the condition because the development sat opposite to homes on Main Street.

However agent Joe Fitzpatrick, acting on behalf of PVY, sought to amend the opening hours for the coffee shop, arguing that the earlier start would not result in any adverse effect on locals.

An attached report suggested that a combination of equipment noise and deliveries would be no louder than around 41 decibels - below an average suggested noise level of 48 decibels.

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Councillor Bobby Clelland (Scottish Labour, West Fife and Coastal Villages), moved to have the discussion thrown out because nothing in the conditions had changed following the review of the 5:00am application.

His motion, seconded by Councillor Andrew Verrecchia (Scottish Labour, Rosyth) was accepted by six votes to five against an amendment by convener Councillor Alice McGarry (SNP, Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay) to accept the officers' unchanged recommendations in full.

The previous decision to allow the development to proceed still stands.

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