A PLANNING row over a proposed Burger King in Liskeard has escalated after town councillors branded the traffic arrangements “ludicrous” and a “serious hazard”.

Liskeard Town Council has doubled down on its opposition to plans for a new Burger King at the Morrisons petrol station – despite Cornwall Council officers indicating they are minded to approve the scheme.

Councillors discussed the application again on Monday and resolved to maintain their objection.

They have now asked Cornwall Councillor for Liskeard Central, Kevin Grey, to call the application in to Cornwall Council’s planning committee rather than allowing it to be decided by officers under delegated powers.

Traffic concerns are very much at the heart of the row with councillors saying the entrance to the Morrisons site already becomes congested at busy times as shoppers and motorists compete for access to the supermarket and petrol station. Now they fear adding a Burger King to the site will pile further pressure on the access road and create even more congestion.

The town council has also questioned how vehicles will leave the site, with councillors describing the proposed arrangements as “ludicrous” and warning they could create a “serious hazard”.

They have also raised concerns that the site is becoming over-developed.

The application, submitted by Motor Fuel Group, proposes a single-storey “food to go” pod at the Morrisons petrol filling station, together with eight parking spaces and a delivery bay.

Four additional parking spaces are proposed close to the existing sales building, while above-ground fuel infrastructure would be relocated within the site.

The council originally objected to the proposal in January under Policy TC1B of the Liskeard Neighbourhood Development Plan.

Its concerns included the potential impact on the vitality and viability of Liskeard town centre and the possibility of more vacant shops in the primary retail area.

Councillors also argued the development could increase car journeys, was not easily accessible for pedestrians and could create conflict between traffic accessing the petrol station and vehicles using the Burger King facility.

However, Cornwall Council has now told the town council it is minded to approve the application.

The applicant argues the Burger King would operate as an ancillary facility to the existing petrol station and supermarket, rather than as a standalone destination.

It says customers will largely be motorists already using the petrol station, shoppers visiting Morrisons or traffic travelling along the A38.

A Planning and Retail Statement submitted with the scheme claims the additional food-to-go space would be supported by forecast growth in spending in the Liskeard area – and argues the potential impact on the town centre would therefore be “negligible”.

Meanwhile, Cornwall Council has further pointed to the proposed forecourt parking as a way of helping to prevent traffic problems.

In a letter to the town council, Development Management Service officer Ellen Lawrence said she intended to recommend approval.

She gave councillors three options – accept the recommendation, agree to disagree, or ask for the application to be considered by the planning committee.

Councillors have opted for the latter, setting up another battle over the controversial proposal.