More Northampton retail park shoppers agree with complaints about queues from cafe drive-thru

More shoppers at a Northampton retail park believe the cafe drive-thru is to blame for an increase in traffic jams and should have been designed better.

Regular Sixfields Retail Park visitor Shaukat Khan has complained about the queues caused by the demand at the Costa Coffee site.

Many Facebook users agreed with the Duston resident in the comments on the Chronicle & Echo's post about the story, including Paula Harborne.

"The whole car park got changed to accommodate it when it was built - it has been rubbish ever since," she wrote.

"I don’t understand the fascination with buying coffee and especially queuing for it!"

Mark Winspear commented: "It's hard to imagine it being designed any worse that it has been.

"That car park needs a separate entrance and exit and somewhere for that coffee queue to go."

And Luke Collins-Hayes added: "Before the Costa drive thru existed, there were no problems and after they built it, there is chaos and awful parking.

"I was involved in a car accident on that road because the road was so chaotic and the lady driver decided to drive (she came out from the retail park) to the right to Sainsbury’s and I was on the lane to Sainsbury’s too and she hit me.

"It’s shocking there and something needs to be change."

The issues stem from the Costa Coffee drive-thru queue quickly filling up, which then blocks the car park, causing more jams that sometimes go as far back as Gambrel Road.

Northamptonshire County Council believes the coronavirus pandemic is behind the surge in demand for takeaway coffees and urged the owners to manage queues better.

But many think it predates Covid-19 and even Costa, like Abigail Austin: "It is always bad at that car park, forever blocking the road towards Sainsbury’s entrance too as people can’t get in and out of the car park.

"Seriously bad planning, it should have more than one exit!"

The county council did raise concerns about the impact of the new site on the highways network when the planning permission was being considered in 2017.

Changes were made to the plans in the hope of easing the issues but

Jen Johnson posted: "Needs a new mini roundabout. When you try and turn right out of here it’s a nightmare, people queue and block the whole turning!"

Leonie Hammond replied: "Jen Johnson I'd prefer it if it was turn left only out of that car park.

"It would help the flow and if you really need to go right you can go around the roundabout and go back in that direction."

Laura Budinger added: "I think the location of the entrance needs to be moved as it does block the car park up.

"But it was chaos before the drive-thru getting in and out. I think the road between Sainsbury's and Sixfields retail park needs an extra lane as traffic just doesn't filter through properly."

A few people did point to the customers and drivers for the issues, such as Keng-Hay Wong: "18 months ago no one planned to be a drive through service only. What do you expect from the public.

"Shops closed and very little amenities left around for people to do. Queues backed. Park somewhere else and walk in."

And Christopher Masterson posted: "It's not a essential service so it should close down.

"It was a nightmare last weekend and all for a cup of coffee. Stay home. Put kettle on. Save lives!"