RESIDENTS have welcomed an application for an 18-hour drive-through bakery.

The major bakery chain set to open a drive-through in a South Lakeland town is seeking permission to open until 11.00pm every day of the week.

Greggs has applied for a change to the opening hours initially suggested for its upcoming Beehive Business Park site in Ulverston.

The company wants 5.00am-11.00pm opening 'to ensure the needs of their customers are met'.

Ansd residents of the town have been supportive of this move.

Julie McKenna said: "Perfect times for me. Bring it on - food on the way to work, food on the way back!"

Gary Harvey joked: "Great to pick up food as you leave Barrow early enough to go to places with shops.

"I’m sure Barrow Council are getting favours from Lancaster, Preston, and other towns.

"If Barrow had a Primark, M&S and Debenhams, I wouldn't go out of town."

Steven Thomason said: "Yes - 5.00am is good for getting my food before my shift starts.

"Nothing much elsewhere is open at that time."

Clive Osten said: "Why shouldn't it open at 5.00am? The town needs to modernise and get with the times."

A covering letter has been submitted on behalf of applicants Greggs plc and Rawden Investments Ltd by Jackie Ford, of JMS Planning & Development, offering further justification for the proposed changes.

Ms Ford said 'increased flexibility' was being sought by Greggs 'to meet the needs of motorists and those working and living within the vicinity of the site'.

She said it was not felt the proposal would generate more traffic 'as people using the facility during the proposed extended hours will be on the highway network already'.

"The previous opening hours were not considered to have any adverse impact on the dwellings beyond the site, noting that these are some distance away from the site and, therefore, the small extension of hours should not be considered any more impactful," she said.

"Additionally, the evening hours are not dissimilar to the opening hours of the nearby Aldi store."