Tim Hortons in Motherwell hits headlines again after roadworks aren't finished

The original planning application for Tim Hortons, approved in August 2018, specified that the road at Knowetop Avenue on approach to its junction with Windmillhill Street had to be widened into two distinct lanes before opening on grounds of road safety.

However, the business submitted a revised planning application in late 2020 to vary this condition and delay the road widening works until four months after opening.

The planning application to amend this condition received 42 objections and the council allowed the business to commence operations for drive-thru takeaway in December.

Here, a majority of councillors on the Planning Committee voted in favour of postponing the works by four months at a meeting in January.

Motherwell South East and Ravenscraig Councillor, Nathan Wilson said: “The business did not meet the original planning condition to widen the road before the drive-thru takeaway commenced use and it’s simply not good enough that the revised planning condition has also not been achieved.

“In my objection letter to the planning application submitted at the end of 2020 to vary the road widening condition, I raised the concern put to me by constituents that if this was granted, there was a real risk that the proposed works would never happen.

“It certainly does seem that the works to widen the road could now fail to materialise. This must be met by a strong response from the council.”

The council did not comment but a Tim Horton’s spokesperson said: “We are absolutely committed to the implementation and completion of the road widening works as soon as possible.

"Despite doing our utmost as a business to deliver this within the timescale, we have experienced delays stemming from BT Openreach who have been unable to complete their works, which we have funded, in time.

"We are expecting an update later this week on the timescale for completion. We appreciate the concerns that have been raised and are doing all that we can.”