New Greggs coming to town – but concern it will offer no ‘positive benefit’

A new drive-thru Greggs is set to come to Lynn – but there are doubts that it will provide “any positive benefits”.

The bakery giant has been granted planning permission to construct new premises at the Morston Point development, off Greenyard Way and close to the Hardwick industrial estate.

The application was first submitted to West Norfolk Council back in 2018, and was officially approved on April 28. The Morston Point development was first granted outline planning permission in 2015.

If built, this would be the fourth Greggs to open in Lynn – but there are some concerns over whether it is actually needed.

In a planning report announcing the decision, the town’s Civic Society said its members previously objected to the application because they feel it will “fail to deliver the kinds of economic benefits that were originally intended when this site was first allocated for employment sector”.

They added: “Certainly, a drive-thru Greggs seems unlikely to provide any positive benefits for our town – especially as we already have three Greggs outlets, one on the Hardwick industrial estate.

“However, we are especially disappointed and object to this reserved-matters application being lodged with no proposals for the landscape infrastructure.”

North Runcton Parish Council, which covers the area in which the new premises are set to be built, has also expressed doubts over the need for a new Greggs.

The plans were given the go-ahead in the same week that a new Lidl store was given the green light to be constructed at the Morston Point site.

The parish council said: “We remain of the view that neither the supermarket nor the fast-food outlet are required at this site and that they will generate yet more local traffic.

“Should, in many years to come, the proposed development at West Winch Growth Area come to fruition, then there may be a new populace that could benefit from this development.

“However, as there has been little or no thought in terms of providing non-vehicular or public transport access to the site, it will still be dependent on local car journeys for custom.

“We therefore cannot see how it can be considered ‘sustainable development’.”

However, the parish council did officially support the proposal for a new Greggs.

Planning officers at West Norfolk Council say that both landscaping and parking provisions at the site are considered “acceptable”.

Their report added: “The proposed drive-thru is considered to be of a scale, mass and design that is appropriate for the site and its wider industrial/commercial setting and are typical of such a facility.”