No date set for decision on planned McDonald's drive-thru

The fast food chain has submitted plans to Worcester City Council for a new drive-thru, takeaway restaurant at the former Harvester pub in Droitwich Road.

But the proposal has faced fierce opposition with hundreds submitting their opposition to Worcester City Council.

Many have highlighted that if given the green light it would be near the near North Worcester Primary Academy that is set to open in September.

If it gets the go-ahead the new takeaway outlet will be the fourth McDonald’s in Worcester. The chain stress it will create new jobs for the community.

But Worcestershire County Council Highways and Worcestershire Department of Public health are among the bodies recommending refusing the plans.

The group against the drive-thru launched a change.org petition, ‘Stop McDonald’s at Perdiswell’. The petition lists the new school, additional litter and that it will attract anti-sociable behaviour to the area as reasons against the Perdiswell House scheme. Since launching in mid June the petition, organised by Claines councillor James Stanley, has attracted 1,647 signatures.

Meanwhile, the Worcester News understands representatives from McDonald’s recently held their own petition and spoke to people in the city centre, collecting signatures from those in favour.

The council’s consultation finished on July 7 and a city council spokesman said that its planning team says no decision has yet been made as to which planning committee meeting the application will go before.

According to the most up to date list on the authority’s website the next scheduled committee meetings are on August 22 and September 19.

Claines Councillor Andy Stafford, who is backing the campaign against McDonald's, said he was not expecting the application to go before the planning committee "imminently".