Greens call for Glasgow to ban new drive-thrus to fight climate change
Call for vote at city council as 400 sign petition against building new outlets
Green councillors are calling for a ban on any the building of new drive-thrus in the city to help fight climate change.
They will call for a vote on introducing planning controls in the “drive-thru capital of Scotland” at a meeting today.
It comes after more than 400 people backed a petition which states “bold action” is needed due to the climate emergency.
A report by council officers claims the issue will be addressed in a new city development plan, which could take at least two years to be implemented.
But the Greens, who previously received support for a motion which called for a drive-thru ban to be considered, believe measures need to be introduced earlier.
"Drive-thru capital of Scotland"
Cllr Christy Mearns said: “The increase in drive-thrus is a problem across the UK with a 41% increase between 2015 and 2020. But Glasgow is the drive-thru capital of Scotland, with more than Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee combined.
“Climate scientists keep warning that this is an emergency and that changes are now becoming irreversible, but still we see a lack of urgency.
“We can’t wait another two years, in which time dozens more drive-thrus could be approved. We need urgent action now to give officers more powers to take the climate emergency into account.”
Cllr Mearns, Greens MSP Patrick Harive and Lana Reid-McConnell, the group’s candidate for Victoria Park in the upcoming council elections, have met with businesses opposed to a controversial plan for a drive-thru at the Thornwood roundabout.
That drive-thru proposal was approved despite community opposition while an application in Ibrox was withdrawn after a local campaign.
Greens push for drive-thru vote
The report on possible planning measures to restrict drive-thrus will go before the city’s neighbourhoods, housing and public realm committee tomorrow. The Greens plan to then bring a vote demanding more action.
Council officers have said the development of a new national planning framework shows a “commitment to introduce policy that seeks to resist proposals that generate significant emissions/travel generating uses at locations which would increase reliance on the private car”.
“This approach will be reflected within the new city development plan,” the report added, stating policies which “avoid the need for reliance on the private car” will be included.
However, officers reported there “may also be circumstances where such uses as drive-thrus might be supportable”, such as on the edge of town centres or when located in other commercial centres/existing facilities.
Motorway servicing and when proposals offer “meaningful infrastructure such as vehicle charging points” are also listed as circumstances when drive-thrus could be supported.
The report added: “It is considered that it would be more effective not to narrow the focus of a revised policy to simply restrict class three (food and drink) uses or hot food takeaways that include drive-thru facilities.
“The overall policy ambition should be to avoid reliance on the private car and create a compact, accessible and connected city form.”
In September last year, Cllr Martha Wardrop, Greens, secured support for a motion on drive-thrus. She said planning restrictions could “see Glasgow lead the rest of the UK in curbing drive-thru restaurants”.
Her group’s petition stated: “Transport emissions are Scotland’s single largest source of greenhouse gases and the Scottish Government has committed to reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030.
“Planning applications for new drive-thrus consistently make seemingly commendable claims about their environmental impact and how they will improve active travel.
“Yet it’s clear that their entire business model is built around encouraging people to drive rather than walk or cycle.”
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