A new 24-hour fast food drive-thru – hotly tipped to be a KFC branch – is set to be approved.

Plans have been put forward relating to land forming part of the Asda superstore in Crossways Boulevard, Greenhithe.

Euro Garages, who own the grocer, are proposing to erect a takeaway business in the car park with dine in capacity and a 24-hour drive-thru facility.

The name of the proposed user has not been specified but KFC – whose nearest restaurant is 1.4 miles away at Bluewater – are tipped to be behind the bid.

If approved, the "hot food" restaurant will employ 45 staff members and cater for sit down diners, take away and delivery meals.

Under the designs, a single-storey building would be erected in the existing car park, which would see spaces reduced from 380 to 346.

The facility would remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and would have a dedicated delivery collection point for online ordering apps Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo.

A report due to be presented before Dartford council's development control board tomorrow has recommended the application be approved.

Plans were first lodged in December and most comments from residents centred on existing traffic and environmental problems, including the ongoing issues of so-called "boy racers".

The Crossways Boulevard area sees regular congregations of up to 150 cars at times centring on the Asda car park and neighbouring industrial estate.

The problems, which typically arise over the weekend, sees modified cars whizzing up and down the busy dual carriageway between the Dartford Crossing and Bluewater shopping centre at speeds of up to 80mph. The speed limit is 40mph.

One resident in nearby Charles Street said: "The traffic noise in the evening is bad enough. You have boy racers using the road every night.

"With a drive thru and fast food restaurant it is going to make the area a death trap."

Whilst another in Dawes Close added: "A 24 hour restaurant here will only serve to exacerbate this problem, providing a meeting point and making it harder to eject these vehicles which could claim legitimate use of this facility to avoid being moved on."

Stone Parish Council has objected to the proposal, claiming it will result in a loss of parking spaces and impact traffic flows while contributing to an "inappropriate clustering of takeaway premises".

Cllr Katie Lynch, who represents Swanscombe and Greenhithe Resident’s Association, fears the fast food joint will provide a "pit stop" for boy racers and more anti-social behaviour.

The Ingress Park resident has also expressed concerns over a traffic assessment cited by Kent County Council's (KCC) highways team which she claimed was not an accurate representation of the volume of vehicles using the facility on a daily basis.

"I have concerns that the objections raised by residents are not being taken seriously on this," she said.

"Relying on views from KCC in this matter is not appropriate, it fails on a number of Dartford council's own planning policies, which KCC have said in past applications should take precedence.

"My view is that this site is not suitable either in its individual components or cumulatively and this application should be refused."

Cllr Lynch added she was not opposing the bid purely "for the sake of blocking" but feels the application should be delayed until a more detailed traffic study can be provided.

KCC's Highways team had originally raised a holding objection until further information had been submitted in respect of the walking route to the new restaurant and to address on-site observations about the use of the car park by non-Asda customers.

They requested survey data of the existing site and the proposed car parking demand to demonstrate the proposals can accommodate the full car parking demand for both uses to operate at maximum capacity.

The reports reads: "They are in general agreement with the trip generation data submitted which shows no significant change to the number of vehicles on the local highway network.

"In response to additional survey information submitted, they consider that this demonstrates that there is sufficient capacity within the car park to accommodate the development.

"However, they suggest that the applicant monitors the use of the car park and avoids renting car parking spaces for other uses rather than for customers as signs on site suggest."

If permission is granted, they have requested that a contribution of £60,000 is made to KCC for the upgrading of Fastrack bus stops.

It is also expected the applicant will provide one year free Fastrack Ticket per employee of the new restaurant and provide a cycle to work scheme for vouchers towards cycles to encourage the use of sustainable travel.

The application will be discussed tomorrow by Dartford council's development control board.