BP Pulse has applied to Great Yarmouth Borough Council to turn an old Frankie & Benny’s building into an EV charging hub.
There would be minor works to the existing restaurant to sub-divide the space into two units and allow for a drive-thru option with new window openings for ordering and collecting. A dedicated drive-thru lane would be added on existing hardstanding around the edge of the site.
In its application, BP Pulse said drive-thru options at restaurants/café’s provide a more ‘agile option’ to enable people to stay within their vehicles while waiting their turn and then subsequently using the EV charging facilities.
The company said it anticipated that the main use of the restaurant would be for people consuming food and drink on the premises.
Most of the planning application is to do with the EV charging facilities, for installation of six EV charging stations with canopies to provide 12 EV parking bays.
The car park layout would be amended to facilitate the EV bays, which would require the repositioning/removal of a small number of petrol/diesel car spaces, to allow sufficient space for manoeuvring into the EV bays and provide the associated infrastructure.
Two DDA EV bays would be provided and two standard DDA bays would be retained adjacent to the restaurant building.
As well as the associated infrastructure, including a new electricity substation, there would be changes to the existing parking area including realignment of standard customer car parking spaces within the central area; removal of standard spaces adjacent to the access; and minor kerb adjustments;
BP Pulse said that while there would be a reduction in the total number of car parking spaces on the site to make way for the EV charging bays, its proposal is consistent with the government’s goal for ramping up delivery of EV charging across the strategic highway network.
It said: “Bearing in mind the location of the site and nature of its surroundings within an out-of-town retail park setting, the overall reduction in spaces is not considered material and would be outweighed by the significant sustainability benefits of the scheme.”
