Revised plans have been submitted to get approval for a coffee giant to move into a site which has remained empty for four years
New plans submitted to fonally turn this corner of the former Colliers car site in Sutton Road, Erdington, into a Costa Coffee, but this time without Greggs(Image: Google )
A plan for a coffee giant to open a new drive-thru restaurant in Birmingham at a former car showroom site has been resurrected, but this time without a well-known food chain alongside.
Costa Coffee had previously planned to join forces with bakery chain, Greggs, and open a new dual unit next to the Lidl supermarket in Sutton Road, Erdington.
Plans were submitted in 2023, and given the go-ahead, but a revised scheme to include more electric vehicle bays was thrown out as it impacted on the level of landscaping.
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The Costa chain even closed its Erdington High Street store at the start of 2024, despite the new one not being anywhere near ready.
But now Sigma Property Co Limited has submitted a fresh application to Birmingham City Council’s planning department to go it alone with a Costa Coffee drive-thru at the site, without the Greggs.
The original proposal, from SEP Properties, was for two retail units, a Costa Coffee drive-thru, and neighbouring Greggs, with a car park for 23 spaces including two electric vehicle charging points and two disabled bays.
That was revised last year to have 25 spaces, with nine electric charging bags and two disabled bays.
But the planning officer, Hamzah Rehman, recommended refusal due to the loss of soft landscaping and the planning committee agreed.
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The new plan, for one Costa drive thru retail unit, is on a smaller footprint – 167 square metres, down from 307 square metres (gross floor area).
It would have ‘less building footprint and more landscaping when compared to the approved scheme’ Timothy Slater of Gould Singleton Architects said.
The plan now is for 27 parking spaces, with six electric charging points and two disabled bays.
The caffeine emporium is proposed to open from 5am to 11pm Monday to Sunday. It would also create 15 jobs, three full time and 12 part time, equivalent to eight full time roles.
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Mr Slater said: “The proposals aim to reintroduce active frontage and visual cohesion, replacing the current vacant, sterile appearance with a more vibrant, landscaped, and biodiverse environment.
“The proposal’s nature and modest scale are considered appropriate and noncontentious given the site’s previous commercial uses.
“The site already has the benefit of a full and detailed planning permission for two retail units.
“This proposal seeks only change the development to a single unit with a smaller footprint than that which has already been approved.
“The Electric Vehicle parking area has been amended to incorporate more landscaping. This has been done to address the concerns that led to the previous scheme being refused.
“The proposed redevelopment of the former Sutton Road, Erdington site will bring a vacant brownfield plot back into use, providing new jobs and amenities for the local community.
“Overall, the scheme represents a positive and sustainable addition to the local area, consistent with planning policy and the principles of good design.”
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The former Colliers car site was levelled and Lidl opened swiftly in 2023 but since then the corner of the site where the Costa Coffee shop would open has remained empty.
Planning application: 2026/03987/PA is currently in a public consultation period.
Comments can be made via the link above to Birmingham’s planning department up to (and including) Wednesday, September 9.
