'Boy racers', traffic woes and pollution among concerns over new Shrewsbury McDonald's
Concerns have been raised that a new 24-hour McDonald's could result in noise, pollution and anti-social behaviour problems.
Plans have been submitted to build a new restaurant on the old Dragon King site in Old Potts Way, Shrewsbury. But several people, as well as Shrewsbury Civic Society and Shrewsbury Town Council, have issued objections.
Residents have shared worries over "boy racers" adding to anti-social behaviour problems, while the council and civic society have expressed concern over the environmental impact the development might cause.
Commenting on the application, Judith Davies said: "There is already anti-social behaviour in the car park, ie drug dealing, litter, and noise from mostly young adults using the premises late at night. I hear cars racing off already from the car park. Adding this would just put fuel on the fire. We already have two McDonald's 24-hour drive thrus in the town.
"It is also a very busy road already. Please do not let this go-ahead."
Resident Stephen Coales added: "It seems very likely that if this plan goes ahead it will be detrimental to the local area and its residents, and will bring very little in return other than a small amount of employment in the fast food industry.
"Old Potts Way is already a busy and major route into Shrewsbury town centre and already suffers congestion at busy times. The addition of a drive through restaurant will compound these problems and very quickly cause an increase in traffic and the noise and air pollution that comes with it.
"A 24-hour drive through business is very different to the existing businesses that have so far operated in this area. It would mean that, to some degree, we lose the peace and quiet that we experience here at night times. This benefits no one but the proposers.
"The cinema and Nandos', and in fact all businesses that operate here bring traffic and noise but they both stop operating in the late evening and so cause no issue with lights, noise and increased traffic coming from the cinema car park and roads during the late evening and after midnight."
"The fact that we already have two 24-hour drive through McDonald's restaurants in this small town. These sites, although it is known that the Meole Brace site has traffic issues, at least keep the majority of passing traffic away from the town centre. Old Potts Way is already a busy thoroughfare. It doesn't need a significant increase in traffic clogging it up when the proposed service can already be accessed in two established sites elsewhere in the town."
Shrewsbury Town Council clerk Helen Ball said: "There is insufficient information provided on sustainable travel to the site and the potential mitigating environmental impacts that may occur. Concerns were raised that littering may be an issue and this may have a detrimental impact upon the neighbouring Reabrook Valley."
Shrewsbury Civic Society's Michael Dineen said: "The society endorses the report from the Shropshire Council Tree Officer concerning the proposed removal of a large number of trees. It is our opinion that there is no substantive reason for this. The society is also concerned about the potential increase in litter and its likely effect on the Rea Brook Valley. Shrewsbury Civic Society objects to this application."
Shrewsbury currently has two McDonald's franchises at Meole Brace Retail Park and Battlefield. The Pride Hill branch in the town centre closed in February 2017 after 34 years of trading.
The proposed site is also home to Cineworld Shrewsbury, The Beaten Track Harvester restaurant and the town's Nando's.
Plans would involve demolishing the old Dragon King restaurant, which was previously a Fatty Arbuckle's, and creating a new building which would employ 60 staff.
McDonald's opened its first "net-zero" branch in Market Drayton in December last year, creating around 80 jobs.
The application is available to view and comment on at bit.ly/3BP3Ovx
