BURGERS could be coming to Winnersh thanks an American fast-food chain.
A planning application has been made to Wokingham Borough Council to turn parts the Showcase Cinema car park into a branch of Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
The chain, which launched in the US in 1986, came to the UK in 2013, and has 113 branches over here.
Five Guys specialises in customisable hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as grilled cheese and vegetable sandwiches. A range of toppings are available and the company says that there are more than 250,000 possible combinations for its meals and 1,000 different combinations for its milkshakes.
The company plans to build a restaurant with external seating area, associated hard and soft landscaping and car parking spaces. It would be on the corner of the car park as it faces the roundabout, and would not include a drive-through lane.
It would be 246 sq m in size and create 20 full-time and 20 part-time jobs.
If approved, the opening hours would be 10am to midnight seven days a week.
Although the Showcase Cinema car park regularly floods if the adjacent River Loddon bursts its banks, the proposed restaurant is well away from the sections that are regularly underwater.
A report on the flooding, produced in August by Lanmor Consulting, says that the site of the proposed restaurant would have a 0.1%-1% risk of flooding, defined as a zone 2 area by the Environment Agency.
It adds: “the area the site is shown to be in an area not considered to be prone to groundwater flooding”.
The report also says: “The proposed building and pedestrian access onto Reading Road will be safe from floodwaters during times of extreme flooding including allowances for climate change.
However, there were two major floods, which caused parts of the Showcase Cinema car park to be closed, in December last year and February this year.
Winnersh Parish Council has commented on the application, expressing concerns over the loss of shrubs and borders.
This, it warns, has “potentially no mitigation measures for additional surface water”.
It also has concerns over whether the cinema has enough car parking available, and also on flooding: “The frequent flood events are not indicated on the historic flood map”.
Winnersh borough councillor Prue Bray (Lib Dem) has concerns, saying that the flood assessment data only goes up to 2007, and ignores the floods of 2009 and 2014, which saw the roundabout completely covered in water.
She also warned: “The restaurant will be located on the corner of the site closest to the roundabout.
“The design includes a red block, which is very prominent. Will this be a distraction for drivers on the roundabout?”
And fellow Lib Dem councillor Paul Fishwick said: “The proposed building of the restaurant is located on land which is currently shrubs and therefore permeable.
“The removal and loss of this landscaping will result in a larger impermeable area.
“Are there sufficient flood mitigation measures contained within the proposals to take account of this change?”
Five Guys did not respond to requests for comment.
