Plans for a Tim Hortons restaurant in South Tyneside have been given the green light by council planners.
The Toronto-based firm is known for its signature coffee, freshly baked doughnuts and other sweet treats, alongside sandwiches and burgers.
In recent months, the chain has expanded into the North East of England after winning planning permission to launch a branch in Washington.
Following a planning decision by South Tyneside Council this week, Tim Hortons is now allowed to open a restaurant in the Boldon Colliery area.
This includes a move to the former Pizza Hut unit at the Boldon Entertainment complex, off Abingdon Way, which will be revamped with a new drive-thru lane, signage and cladding.
Customers visiting the site will have a choice of either ‘eating in’ or using the drive-thru facility, with the new development expected to create dozens of jobs.
A council decision notice approving the Tim Hortons development was published on June 1, 2021.
Planners concluded the scheme would fit in with the wider uses of the leisure park with the new drive-thru lane also being acceptable in terms of “visual amenity.”
Despite the loss of six parking spaces at the site, highways officers added that the proposal would not result in an “unacceptable impact on highway capacity.”
According to a planning statement prepared for the applicant, the development would also bring several benefits.
This includes “investment in the area, tidying up and refreshing an older unit and providing the more modern facilities now expected by the public.”
A statement from Tim Hortons earlier this year confirmed the new restaurant and drive-thru in Boldon would bring around 40 jobs to the local area.
The two new launches in Washington and Boldon also form part of the brand’s plan to create more than 2,000 jobs across the country, bringing Tim Hortons restaurants to every major town and city by 2022.
Kevin Hydes, chief commercial officer of Tim Hortons franchise in the UK, previously said: “The North East has been an area of interest to us for a long time, and so we’re thrilled to bring our first ever Tim Hortons restaurants to the region.
“We have a huge fanbase here and have had many requests to bring the brand to the area, so we expect it to be hugely popular with the local community and fans from neighbouring cities.”
The new Tim Hortons in South Tyneside is planning to welcome guests later this year.
For more information on the planning application, visit South Tyneside Council’s online planning portal and search reference: ST/0061/21/FUL
