Plans for a Costa Coffee drive-thru have been turned down.

Southfleet-based Goldex Investments Ltd hoped to build on Medway City Estate in Strood.

But the proposals – which also included space for a classic cars' warehouse – were rejected over concerns for the safety of the access route and loss of habitat at neighbouring Whitewall Creek.

The site is close to the estate's entrance and is currently unoccupied and overgrown with vegetation.

The units would have had a separate entrance to the neighbouring McDonald's and Co-op petrol station in an attempt to prevent queues.

Medway Council's planning department said the plans didn't have enough detail within its flood risk assessment, nor its transport assessment.

Therefore it was difficult to fully predict the impact on the surrounding roads.

Returning their decision, the authority also said the site is close to a waste water treatment plant and there was no judgement of how this could impact the development. The plans also included a 30-space car park.

Goldex is run by Diljit Brar who is a franchisee of the coffee giant, and has 50 outlets in the region. He is also the co-owner of Kaspa's Desserts.