A controversial drive-through on West Cumbria’s busiest commuter route has been given the go-ahead despite major road safety fears.

Euro Garages was yesterday granted permission to open a drive-through café and restaurant and filling station on the former site of the bulldozed Woodlands care home close to the Lillyhall end of the Distington bypass.

The scheme is set to create 75 jobs including full and part-time positions, but councillors raised concerns over accident risk and congestion, though highways chiefs have lodged no objections.

Speaking on behalf of Workington Town Council, town clerk Chris Bagshaw said the plans had succeeded in uniting members who “had not been united in a long time” against the scheme.

He said: “The development falls a long way short of enhancing our communities. It offers a continuation of the ‘eyes closed la-la-la’ approach to development, a piecemeal reactive mess, confusing and frustrating for drivers and downright dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.

“It’s a sorry state of affairs when Workington Town Council is being asked to fund bike safety schemes and diet and exercise health workshops whilst our colleagues elsewhere in local government are allowing a popular pie shop at a petrol station en route to school already clogged with traffic at peak times.”

Winscales Parish Council also “strongly objected” to the plans because there is already a petrol station in the area. Councillors claimed its future could be put in jeopardy by the new arrival.

They also felt the development was “too close” to the college and to the roundabout and would cause more “traffic chaos”.

Another objector claimed the takeaway food from the venue would fuel the obesity crisis, while Councillor Hilary Harrington asked that the development be deferred until the county council submitted a detailed report addressing traffic concerns.

Responding to the concerns, Nazia Shah, of Euro Garages, said members could be “confident” that the scheme would be operated by a “responsible and highly successful organisation”.

She stressed that EG had “worked closely” with highways experts to address concerns by agreeing to the creation of a pedestrian crossing as part of the plans.

Ms Shah added that the development would not only create jobs but would help “boost economic growth in the borough.”

She added: “Members can feel safe in the knowledge that they will create over 70 new jobs, promote consumer choice and provide a vital service as well as give the message that this council is place that welcomes investment.”

Many of the concerns centred around the creation of a pedestrian crossing on the A597 close to an ambulance station amid fears that the plans could hold up emergency vehicles.

However, it was agreed that a switch to allow the traffic lights at the crossing to be controlled from the ambulance station in the event of an emergency.

The exact location of the crossing is still to be agreed but must satisfy safety concerns before the business opens.

The garage will include pumps for cars and HGVs, a petrol station kiosk and three electric charging bays.

It will also include a carpark for around 70 vehicles, including disabled spaces, and 18 cycle spaces.

The plans were voted through by Allerdale council’s planning panel by seven votes to five.