COUNCILLORS have poured cold water on a request to allow an earlier opening time for a new drive through cafe in Halbeath.

Planners had recommended the approval of the application to vary a planning condition restricting the Costa Coffee outlet planned for the Halbeath Retail Park to hours between 7am and 11pm so it could open from 5am.

However members of Fife Council's Central and West area Planning Committee disagreed and, after a vote of six to five, agreed a motion which means that all units on the site be subject to the opening hours which they had agreed previously. In September, planning permission was granted for the erection of three class one retail units, two café/restaurant units (class 3) with associated drive-thru element and one cafe/restaurant unit with associated parking and external works on land to the west of Macdonald Square in Halbeath Main Street.

After concerns were raised about noise, councillors agreed with a vote of 11 to two to include a planning condition that all units on the site – which will also feature a Burger King restaurant – would have operating hours of between 7am and 11pm.

Service Manager & Committee Lead Mary Stewart had urged the committee to re-think the condition on Wednesday with planners warning that it left them open for a successful appeal.

"Officers' concern would be should that course of action be taken up by the applicant, there is potential for it to be awarded," she said. "As a planner I cannot recommend to you a condition that would open the council up to challenge."

She said an acoustic report found no noise impact from nighttime operation would occur because of the drive through nature.

"The background noise levels are particularly high at this location because of the roundabout and through roads connecting to the motorway. The access itself is not the sole source of noise."

However, West Fife and Coastal Villages councillor Bobby Clelland had his motion to keep the previously agreed conditions passed.

"The exit/entrance is still going to be the same as units one to four so the noise for any traffic into Costa or the other one will be the same," he said. "All traffic will be affecting the residents nearby irrespective of which unit they are going to.

"I believe all the units should be treated the same and the decision from the previous meeting should be upheld."