COSTA hopes to open a drive-thru coffee shop on the outskirts of Wellington, creating up to 15 jobs.

The company wants to build the facility on the Westpark 26 business park at Chelston.

The planning application submitted by Summerfield Developments comes as it emerges that Coca Cola is buying Costa from its owner, Whitbread, in a £3.9 billion deal.

Customers would be able to buy products either to consume on the premises or to take away.

A statement with the application to Taunton Deane Borough Council says: "The development proposal is for a coffee shop with drive thru facility of 167sq m gross floorspace, together with car parking, a drive thru lane and access.

Somerset County Gazette:

"The proposed development would provide a coffee shop facility to allow customers to consume food and drink on the premises as well as a drive thru service.

"The development will be accessed off the A38 West Buckland Road at the roundabout and off the third exit at the roundabout located within Westpark 26."

The unit would be locate in the southern part of the site with a 30-space car park to the north, including two disabled spaces.

The drive thru element would be accessed on the eastern elevation of the unit, with a one-way access road provided around the unit.

The applicants say there would be some walk-in trade, but most of the customers would probably be visiting another business on Westpark or passing by en route to another destination.

Costa already has an outlet in High Street, Wellington.

The application document adds: "Costa’s Drive Thru operations should be seen as complementary to Costa’s existing town centre operations, seeking to draw custom from a largely different target market.

"The opening of the proposed drive thru is not expected to have any bearing on the continued trade of the town centre Costa Coffee shop."

Jill Anderson, Costa's regional acquisition manager, said: "The proposal for a drive thru unit at West Park is complementary to our High Street store.

"If consented, the units will trade alongside one another.

"In addition, the proposed store will employ a total of between 12 and 15 staff. These jobs will be net additional to the existing employees in our town centre unit."