Plans for new McDonald's drive-thru restaurant in Saltney rejected
Council says "strong likelihood" the fast-food development "would be a destination for school pupils"
How the new McDonald's drive-thru could look in Saltney(Image: Planning application)
Plans for a new McDonald's drive-thru restaurant on the outskirts of Chester have been rejected. The fast-food giant had earmarked land located on the junction of Chester Street and Boundary Lane in Saltney for its proposed development.
The site sits on the Cheshire side of the border. We reported in September last year that the new restaurant would create 100 jobs - 70 of which would be full-time roles.
A full planning application had been submitted to Cheshire West and Chester Council on behalf of McDonald's. The proposed restaurant would be located on the northern part of the Sidings Business Park which comprises three brick buildings - Mallard House, Pullman House and Scotsman House - that would have been demolished.
However, planning chiefs have refused the application this week with concerns raised over the proximity of the fast-food venue to local schools. It states that there is a "strong likelihood" that the restaurant would become "a destination for school pupils".
Among the other concerns was the "insufficient information" provided to show that "traffic generated by the proposal can be absorbed into the surrounding highway network without resulting in an unacceptable detrimental impact either in safety or operational terms".
In a report recommending refusal, case officer Edward Bannister said: "A number of issues raised by this application can be conditioned accordingly, and the proposal would create jobs during both the construction and operational phase, as well as secure a long-term viable use for the site, which is currently vacant and offers little or no realistic prospect of being used for employment in the years ahead.
"However, the principle of development has been considered in depth, considering all consultation responses, and while the sequential test is considered to be passed in terms of both Flood Risk and Town Centre Use, the proposal would simply fail to adhere to Government Guidance in the NPPF concerning the provision and development of fast food outlets within reasonable walking distances of schools.
"In addition, the proposal would give rise to increased anti-social behaviour in this area, and there is insufficient information to assess the proposal favourably against the highways policies of the local development plan. Accordingly, it is recommended that the application be refused."