Longer opening hours for McDonald's (From Worcester News)

Longer opening hours for McDonald's

8:30pm Sunday 11th November 2012 in News

THE opening hours of a McDonald’s will be extended after councillors heard there had not been a single complaint about the restaurant in two years.

Wychavon District Council planning committee were considering a bid by the owners of the McDonald’s, at Wychbold just off the M5 junction 5, to extend hours for both the restaurant and the drive-thru, on a one-year trial basis.

It currently opens 6am until 10.30pm Mondays to Saturdays, and 7am to 10pm Sundays.

The application was to extend hours to 5am to 2am, Mondays to Thursdays, and Sundays, and 24 hours Friday to Saturday, while the drive-thru would shut at 11.30pm.

Councillor Judy Pearce, councillor for the area, said residents had demonstrated “virulent opposition” to the bid.

The council had received 13 letters of objection, plus one from the owners of the neighbouring Holiday Inns Express, raising problems of noise, litter and anti-social behaviour.

However, coun Pearce said she was “disappointed” that having expressed a view to her, none of the residents had turned up to publicly address the council.

“None of the have bothered to come and speak to defend what they’ve been saying to me,” she said.

Ed Baverstock, agent for the applicant, reminded the council that opening hours were extended in 2009, without much incident.

“There have been no logged complaints of noise of anti-social behaviour in the past ten years, and none about litter in the last two,” he said.

Coun Pearce said there had been a change of tone among parish councillors, who now saw McDonalds “favourably”.

She said due to its motorway location “it was an important place for business meetings”, and that “kids in Wychbold have nothing else to do - and in fairness, this is a pretty peaceful place to go.”

Councillors approved the plan by 12 votes, with two abstentions.