Shropshire Star

McDonald's aims to open new restaurants in Shropshire and Mid Wales towns

Fast food giant McDonald's has revealed it is looking to open a number of new restaurants across the region.

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The company said today it was looking to open new sites in Oswestry, Welshpool, Market Drayton, Bridgnorth, Ludlow and new restaurants in Shrewsbury and Telford.

The towns are listed on a wishlist issued by the company.

A spokeswoman for McDonald's said: "We are always looking for new sites and can confirm that the West Midlands and Mid Wales are areas where we would like to invest, open new restaurants and create jobs.

"We are looking at several potential opportunities in the area but currently have no confirmed plans."

Councillor Andy Boddington, Shropshire Council member for Ludlow, welcomed the plans.

He said: "I'm not against fast food at all, it's a part of our lives and we do have some good takeaways in the town.

"I think a lot of people would welcome a McDonald's in the town and would really enjoy it, especially the young people but I do think there will have to be some consideration from McDonald's as to where it's located, as it is a place that creates plenty of traffic."

If the chain did open up in Ludlow, although the restaurant would create jobs, Councillor Boddington said he believes jobs would also be lost as a result.

"Although it would create jobs, they would take them away too. It's the same when supermarkets come to a town, for example they bring 70 jobs to a town but 50 could be lost elsewhere as a result," he said.

McDonald's opened its first Shropshire-based restaurant in March 1982 in Telford. The town currently has four restaurants, while Shrewsbury has three, and Whitchurch and Newtown one each.

At present the firm has around 1,200 sites in the UK and wants to open a further 300, mostly drive through restaurants over the next 10 years.

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