Monday September 15th 2025
Scottish Borders Councillors gave the go-ahead at a council meeting today (Monday 15th of September).
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Go-ahead was given today for a new £1.5m Starbucks drive-through on an ‘eyesore’ industrial site in Kelso with the creation of 30 jobs.
The US coffee giant submitted a planning application to Scottish Borders Council earlier this year for the redevelopment of a derelict site north east of Oakwood in Station Road.
But the council’s planning department refused the bid after concluding the out-of-town drive-through would be “incongruous” to the area and could harm the “vitality and viability” of the town centre.
The proposals also divided opinion in the Borders town, which has a large number of independent coffee shops.
At a meeting of Scottish Borders Council’s Local Review Body on Monday, September 15, members voted by three to two in favour of the drive-through, with the casting vote from the committee chair Councillor Simon Mountford, Conservative representative for Kelso, who said: “The appellant has made clear that they had done a thorough search for alternative sites in the town and there are none available, simply because of the amount of space that is required for a drive-through.
“I am not persuaded that this is a residential area. The maps made quite clear that the land to the north, to the east and the majority of land to the west are all industrial/commercial.
“The use of the area can undoubtedly be, and is historically too, industrial and commercial. It is a site that has been vacant for around 30 years and it is an eyesore and when the winter comes and the leaves fall off the trees the area of dereliction will become more apparent.”
An appeal submission stated: “The proposal is to redevelop part of a brownfield site that has been vacant for a prolonged period, understood to be in excess of 20 years, and the development will therefore bring a dormant and unused site into beneficial use, and with a contemporary building that will improve the appearance of the site and the surrounding area and establish a benchmark to act as a catalyst to help enable the future development of the remaining part of the site.
“The proposed development will serve a different function and role to coffee shops in other locations in Kelso, and consequently will not have a direct, significant or adverse impact on other equivalent facilities.”
The drive-through will be Starbucks second in the Borders, with the company opening an outlet on the site of the old Abbotsford Arms Hotel in Galashiels, near the town’s Transport Interchange, in December 2022.
In his report to refuse the application, Euan Calvert, SBC assistant planning officer, had noted that the council’s landscape architect objected to the bid, stating it would be “detrimental to the character, attractiveness and amenity of the surrounding area” and “an incongruous addition to the residential streetscape”.
The original refusal came despite enthusiastic support from Kelso Conservative councillor Tom Weatherston, who said: “This site has sat derelict for well over 20 years and has become badly overgrown and lets the area down, it’s good news for Kelso that the site has been purchased.
“This type of drive through facility is a different offer to town centre cafes and I am confident this proposal would not have a big impact on the town centre businesses, and would be more attractive to people driving through the area. It will be very good to see this part of Kelso tidied up after many years.”
The company has confirmed its intention to employ between 20 to 30 staff at the proposed new venue, more than half being full time posts.
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