Coffee shop and petrol station signs spark objections near M6 at Stafford
Residents living near the site of a new drive-through coffee shop and petrol station have objected to plans for "excessively tall" advertising signs.
A Costa branch is earmarked for land off Creswell Grove, close to Junction 14 of the M6 near Stafford. Planning permission for the drive-through facility and a petrol station was granted in May 2019.
Now plans have been put forward for a series of signs to advertise the new facilities to passing motorists.
But several Creswell Grove residents have submitted objections to Stafford Borough Council – as has the operator of an M6 service station just a few miles north of Junction 14 – on the grounds of safety. Highways England has also raised “partial” objections to some of the signage
A letter submitted on behalf of Moto Hospitality Ltd said: “Our objections to those applications in the past and this advert application are based upon the clear evidence that the developer is seeking to establish an "informal" Motorway Service Area (MSA). The development cannot be an MSA because it fails to provide the necessary mandatory services and parking levels for all types of vehicles.
"The proposed tall totem signs serve only to advertise the facilities to motorway users. Of course, such signage would lead to safety issues on the M6 motorway.
"We note that Highway England has also objected to such signage. Clearly, it is vital for highway safety that no signage of any kind is visible form the motorway. It is unclear why such a plethora of signs is required in any event as this is a local road and the present proposals would clearly impact adversely on local amenity."
Another resident said: "The northbound slip round is already very dangerous to cross by foot from Creswell Grove heading towards Stafford town centre. This danger and potential for accidents will be increased if traffic is coming off at J14 to use the ‘services’ and then rejoin J14 northbound turning left from Creswell Grove.
"This development has already eradicated the green space we had to explore and use in our local area and the danger of crossing the slip road reduces further the locations we can visit by foot."
Creswell Parish Council has also raised concerns about some of the signage. A 10m high double-sided pole sign and 9.35m high totem sign were both described as “excessively tall”.
Councillor Jonathan Price said: "We have concerns about public safety and amenity, in particular the potential impact upon road users and local residents. Also, as the site is not available to HGVs and is lacking the minimum facility requirements for an MSA (motorway service area), the facility should not be signed from the M6 Motorway.”
A design and access statement submitted as part of the application said that light would not go into nearby homes however.
The statement said: “The tallest signage features relate to the ID, estate and Costa pole signs. These are positioned perpendicular to the road so that they are easily visible to road users.
“This also means the detail including luminance is not experienced from within the homes of properties opposite the site. The luminance is designed so light does not spill into homes.
“Whilst the orientation of the signs is such that they cannot be seen front on into the residential properties opposite the site, each sign is slim in design which further minimises any perceived impact. It is considered that the proposed signage at Creswell Grove includes narrow features on the site’s road frontage and will indeed sit appropriately and blend in with the already approved commercial backdrop it seeks to promote.
“As to public safety, despite the presence of the nearby junction, the standalone signs are set well back from driver’s forward zone of vision. Approaching drivers have good forward visibility to manoeuvre at the junction and would also be able to take note of the luminous nature of the proposed totem over a reasonable distance.
“The ID sign, estate sign and Costa pole sign are also spaced out, so they are not clustered to allow drivers to easily and safely note the information on those signs. Their positioning has therefore been appropriately considered for drivers in an easterly and westerly direction.”
