National multi-sector property developer Godwin Developments has submitted a planning application for a new coffee shop scheme in Stoke-on-Trent and announced the signing of a long-term lease agreement with the UK’s leading coffee operator Costa Coffee.
The 0.66-acre site, located off the busy A50 Baths Road in Longton, is positioned near Phoenix Retail Park, as well other local amenities, including a Tesco Extra supermarket and a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant. Formerly a Pizza Hut, which closed its doors in September 2019, the site attracts local residents and commuters alike, with approximately 12,000 vehicles passing it daily.
Under the plans proposed by Godwin Developments, the current building will be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up to include a modern 1,800 sq. ft. drive to and drive thru unit, which will be occupied by Costa Coffee, and a similar 1,100 sq. ft. unit that will be made available to other potential occupiers. The site’s main entrance on Baths Road will be retained and the development will also include parking for 37 cars, plus three disabled and one waiting bay spaces.
News of the agreed lease with Costa Coffee follows Godwin’s recent completion of a Lidl supermarket in Birmingham, and a roadside lease and sale deal in Rushden, Northamptonshire. These announcements further strengthen the company’s previous commercial track record, which includes fast food and coffee operators, roadside, retail park and convenience retail schemes.
Stuart Pratt, group development director for Godwin Developments said: “We are really pleased to have submitted a planning application for this high traffic location and also secured a long-term lease with Costa Coffee. We recognised the site’s great development potential from the outset – it has a busy and highly visible retail setting in Stoke-on-Trent – and based on our previous experience with similar operators, we were able to design the site to accommodate Costa’s preferred drive thru unit layout.
“I would like to thank the team at Costa Coffee for their support to-date and we look forward working closely with local planners to deliver the next phase of this new development.”
Susan Agnew, acquisition manager from Costa Coffee said: “We are very excited to have secured this prominent site for our newest drive thru store in Stoke-on-Trent, which will grow and complement our existing presence in the city and the wider West Midlands area. It is a superb high-traffic location and we look forward to progressing the scheme with Godwin Developments in the very near future.”