We're lovin' it! -- locals give thumbs-up to plan for Kirkby's first McDonald's restaurant

The fast-food giant launched a consultation in May to gauge public opinion on a drive-through for a vacant site at Lane End, opposite the town’s train station.

Of 251 responses received, 83 per cent were in favour, with only 13 per cent against and four per cent not sure.

Now McDonald’s has submitted an official planning application to Ashfield District Council for the restaurant, which would create up to 120 full-time or part-time jobs and support up to 200 more during construction.

Among the comments submitted as part of the consultation, one person said: “It’s a great chance for a global company to offer investment into Kirkby, creating new jobs, developing a derelict site and transforming that part of town.”

Another said: ”It would make Kirkby a more appealing town for visitors and bring in revenue for other businesses. And a third commented: “Much needed for an area that has been in decline for some time now.”

The one-acre site, which is also close to an Aldi supermarket and the Urban Road Business Park, has been empty since the closure of an engineering factory many years ago.

McDonald’s says it is “a key gateway location” to Kirkby and is badly “in need of redevelopment due to its visual prominence”.

The company operates more than 1,300 restaurants in the UK, which employ more than 125,000 people. There are already three in Ashfield – two at Sutton and one in Hucknall – as well as three in Mansfield.

Interestingly, the 24-hour drive-through close to Hucknall train station, which opened in 2019, was initially rejected by Ashfield Council, but went ahead after McDonald’s won an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

The council’s planning officers have been bombarded with documents in support of the Kirkby plan, which would also include a 33-space car park with cycle and motorcycle bays and electric vehicle charging bays, access, landscaping and other associated works.

The most important of the documents have been submitted by the company’s Leeds-based agents, Lichfields, one of the UK’s leading planning and development consultancies.

Lichfield says the restaurant would be a huge boost to the Kirkby economy, pumping in millions of pounds of gross value added (GVA) and generating about £45,000 per year in business rates.

Boasting a red-brick design, it would cover an area of 377 square metres, with seating inside and on a patio area outside. It would be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, while 80 per cent of its packaging would be recyclable.

Critics often point to McDonald’s venues attracting litter, but Lichfields says this one would not only provide bins but also conduct three litter-patrols within a 150-metre radius every day.

Ben Spratt, senior acquisitions surveyor for McDonald’s, said: “We are excited by this opportunity to transform a vacant site into a new, modern McDonald's restaurant, helping to enhance food choices for residents.

“The creation of the restaurant would deliver significant job opportunities for local people and provide welcome investment into Kirkby’s economy. We are committed to working closely with the local community.”

The council’s planning officers are now considering the scheme and hope to make a decision, or recommendation, by Sunday, September 8.