Crackdown on building of new drive-thrus to be rolled out in Glasgow

Tighter rules are bring brought in for applications being considered by Ccity planners in the future. And the new controls mean any drive-thrus which would increase car traffic would face being turned down.

A council paper said the new guidance “will prevent additional drive thrus within town centres and local centres which do not include existing retail parks or large areas of surplus car parking with existing carborne traffic.”

The city currently has 39 drive-thrus and most of them are located within walking distance (800 metres) of deprived areas.

On Tuesday, councillors are due to be presented with the new drive-thru planning ‘guidance note’, at a meeting, which is to be adopted with immediate effect.

The Scottish Greens have been pushing for the ban of drive-thrus because they can lead to more car journeys increasing emissions and air pollution.

Last year Green councillor Martha Wardrop put forward a motion asking for officials to look into the restriction of the development of new drive-thrus.

The council paper, which will be presented at the neighbourhoods, housing, and public realm city policy committee, said: “The Guidance Note will form non-statutory guidance so will have less weight than the adopted City Development Plan, but will be used to guide planning decision making nonetheless.”

Councillors will be recommended to note the “Planning Guidance Note, to be applied by planning officers in consideration of planning applications for drive through restaurants with immediate effect.”