A decision on whether a new burger joint can be built in our area has been delayed again amid a series of road safety inspections.
A planning application to construct a Wendy’s fast food restaurant near Swaffham was first submitted to Breckland Council in December.
The council’s planning authority was originally due to decide whether to green-light the Mechanical Digger Ltd proposals by January 29.
However, the decision date has been repeatedly pushed back as National Highways carries out a road safety audit.
It first set a February 2 deadline to do so, and then more for March 14, April 24, and most recently May 31.
However, that deadline has again been pushed back until June 28.
A National Highways comment has repeated the same line as it did following the four previous delays: “If we are in a position to respond earlier than this, we will withdraw this recommendation accordingly.”
Breckland Council’s planning portal says that a final decision on the Wendy’s application is now due by July 5 at the latest.
The site, off the A47, is located just under three miles west of Swaffham town centre – and lies close to the roundabout junction with Downham Road (A1122) to the north west.
If approved, the Wendy’s drive-thru would be built on a site which currently accommodates the former Avanti Grille Cafe building – which a report says has become “dilapidated and in need of demolition”.
The American fast food giant first set up shop in the UK in the 1980s, but left in the early 2000s.