Tim Hortons has won an appeal to open a drive-thru and café in Dundee, after plans were refused twice.
It’s third time lucky for the Canadian coffee brand that set its sights on Dundee years ago.
Planning permission for a Dundee café has now been granted, after an appeal to the Scottish Government.
This comes after Dundee City Council rejected the bid twice.
The new Tim Hortons coffee shop and drive-thru will be in the New Craigie Retail Park.
The chain applied for the site last year but the council knocked back plans for the first time in November.
Third time lucky
Council planning officers recommended approving a second application in February but councillors knocked it back after concerns were raised in relation to the local authority’s city centre-first policy.
But an appeals reporter appointed by the Scottish Government found the proposal did not contradict the policy.
The reporter considered Tim Horton’s appeal and concluded in a report that “the economic benefit, regeneration of the site and the provision of local facilities, justified a departure from the development plan”.
The city centre-first policy aims to discourage business plans that may divert commerce away from the city centre.
Tim Hortons appealed to the Scottish Government over the original rejection while also reapplying to Dundee City Council.
The chief commercial officer previously spoke of the “really great opportunity” for the city.
Bosses say 50 jobs will be created now the plans can go ahead.
The 2,800 square-foot space will offer hot drinks and food.
There will be indoor and outdoor seating for more than 80 customers, as well as a drive-thru facility.
‘City centre first’
The Dundee Cycling Forum raised concerns of “car-centric” planning and pointed to many empty city centre sites.
The government decision notice reflected on the problem during their appeals process.
“I consider that, after an initial period, a proportion of the trips to the site would be either combined trips or pass-by trips,” the reporter said in his report.
“These customers would already be on the road network and therefore these would not be additional trips.”