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CORNWALL'S third McDonald's restaurant, at Falmouth, appears to have won
planning approval - after councillors were told they could not prevent it.
The fast food chain is to build a drive-through 52-seat restaurant on an industrial site in Dracaena Avenue. Local people and some councillors opposed the plan, with Carrick planners turning the scheme down twice. But the latest plan includes major highway improvements. Carrick council members were told during a closed session that a legal planning expert believed the council would not win if the matter went to appeal. The lawyer is understood to have warned councillors they could face paying all the costs of an appeal. The plan must now be advertised as a departure from the approved town map. It will then have to win support from the Environment minister. Residents are concerned about late night noise and trouble when people leave town centre pubs in Falmouth at closing time and head for the restaurant Chief planning officer Steve Watson said the McDonalds would close at 11.30pm in the week and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. He said an agreement struck between the applicants and the highways department had wrecked one of the reasons for refusal. Some people would see this as "buying off" the highway authority, said Mr Watson. The former oil depot site is allocated as industrial land. Cllr Armorel Carlyon (Ind, Truro) said people living near the restaurant would "never forgive" the council if they caved in and gave consent. 'YES' TO A MCDONALDSWESTERN MORNING NEWS24th Dec 1996; UK (Cornwall)Teignbridge planners are set to serve up a happy New Year for burger giant McDonalds.A site inspection team of councillors is recommending permission be granted for McDonalds' controversial proposed restaurant next to the Sainsbury store at Penn Inn, Newton Abbot. Until now district councillors have been strongly opposed to the restaurant and drive through takeaway being built in Keyberry Road. But a new report by councillors who visited the site urges the planning committee to grant permission. The next meeting of the committee on January 6 is being recommended to approve the application on condition the restaurant shuts at 11pm nightly.
ANGER OVER U-TURN ON BURGER PLANWESTERN MORNING NEWS28th Dec 1996; UK (Cornwall)PLANS for a drive-in burger restaurant at Penn Inn have caused a problem for planners.
Local Green Party members and the Keyberry Residents' Action Group are angered over reports that Teignbridge planners are considering a U-turn over a new McDonald's site. The initial application was turned down on the grounds that it would not be in keeping with surroundings. But a site inspection team is now recommending that permission should be granted and that the proposed store should stay open to 11pm. Cllr Nick Banwell, ward representative, said: "Teignbridge planners are caving in to corporate pressure from McDonald's rather than sticking up for local people. "The changes in design will not make an iota of difference to the many objectors to the scheme and the local residents in Keyberry Road are understandably up in arms over the proposed opening hours." During the summer a petition of 700 signatures was collected against the plans for development. Mr Banwell said: "Local people signed the petition because they were concerned about local jobs and the increase in traffic caused by such a development. I am amazed that Devon Highways have not objected - the situation on Keyberry Road is bad enough now that Sainsbury's have moved in. With McDonald's it would get even worse." Teignbridge planners are due to debate the application on Monday, January 6. If McDonald's are unsuccessful, a public inquiry is scheduled for February 11 and 12. |