Fast food giant McDonald’s has been given the go-ahead for a new drive-through restaurant on the outskirts of Torquay – just a mile and a half from its next nearest branch.
Planning officers at Torbay Council have given the green light for the famous yellow arches to go up on the site at Kerswell Gardens, behind the Aldi supermarket.
There is already a McDonalds at nearby Lawes Bridge, as well as another at Penn Inn, just over three miles away.
Planning permission was originally given for a drive-through in 2022 as part of the application for the Aldi store and Costa coffee outlet which are already in place.
The latest permission is for a slightly amended design.
A planning officer’s report describes the site as ‘a cleared plot that holds little ecological value’. The application says the site will employ 30 full-time and 90 part-time staff.
Permission has been granted with more than 20 stringent conditions attached to the building project.
Teignbridge councillor Jane Taylor (Ind, Kerswell with Coombe) had filed a request for the application to be ‘called in’ and discussed by Torbay’s planning committee before a decision was made. She said she had concerns over traffic congestion and anti-social behaviour, as well as the increased gathering of vehicles into the early hours.
However, Torbay’s planning department says the application falls within Torbay boundaries rather than Teignbridge, meaning Cllr Taylor is not the local councillor for the site.
Kingskerswell Parish Council has also asked a representative from the McDonalds franchise to meet with them to discuss litter picking arrangements and how they will deal with any anti-social behaviour.
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