Will McDonald's fast food bid slow traffic in Hucknall?

The proposed restaurant, next to the Tesco petrol station on nStation Road, is expected to employ more than 65 full and part time staff and the burger chain says “almost all of these will be recruited from the local community”, except the management team.

Councillor Mick Murphy welcomed the move, but said he had reservations about increased traffic flow.

He said: “McDonald’s have come halfway through the inner relief road project and it might throw up some issues.

“Before the road on a Saturday morning it would get very busy and the traffic would be backed up from Tesco to Station Road.

“Have the infrastructure people taken account of the extra traffic.”

However, he added: “It is another business for Hucknall and it is extra employment.”

Councillor Lachlan Morrison said: “I am generally in favour of anything that brings employment to Hucknall.

“I imagine this application will increase traffic flow so there would have to be planning consideration to that.

“Ultimately, a lot of people use McDonald’s and I think it will be very popular. I would encourage people to support local businesses and independent traders.”

Steven Sleigh, who has been the owner of Yummy Tummies on the High Street for five years, said: “I think it has got to affect trade for all food outlets - how much remains to be seen.

“It think it’s an inevitable part of a town now. People seem to want Costa, McDonald’s and KFC above all the other independent traders.” The single storey restaurant will have 33 car parking spaces, two disabled parking spaces and two ‘grill bays’. Access to the site will be via a new roundabout.

In a statement the company said the building “incorporates khaki green, natural stone and Italian Walnut cladding which help blend the restaurant into its surrounds.”

Outside there will be a patio and a play area for children, and inside there will be seating for 140 visitors.

The existing vacant building will be demolished in works that are expected to take ten weeks.

Deliveries will take place approximately three times per week, lasting between 15 and 45 minutes, and there will be regular waste collections.

The application was submitted on October 4, and the consultation period ends on October 28.

A decision, made under delegated powers, is expected by January 3, 2017.

McDonald’s has over 1,200 restaurants in the UK, employing around 110,000 people, with nearly 70 per cent of restaurants operated by franchisees.

The statement said: “To ensure uniformity throughout the world, all franchisees must use standardised McDonald’s branding, menus, design layouts and administration systems.”