Market Drayton McDonald's plan sparks access row with council
McDonald’s plans to open their latest fast food restaurant in Market Drayton have hit an obstacle.
Shropshire Council has raised concerns over highway safety over the company’s application to build a new restaurant near the A53 roundabout on the western edge of town.
The proposal includes 42 car parking spaces and a drive-thru facility at the site on Shrewsbury Road.
But consultants for the council said the proposed access to Shrewsbury Road must be moved further away from the roundabout and the car park design must also be changed “in the interests of highway safety” before the proposal can be fully assessed.
McDonald’s say there is no need to move the proposed road access but the council is sticking to its guns.
Consultants WSP, on behalf of Shropshire Council, said: “The local highways authority requires the access point onto Shrewsbury Road to be moved further east on the site and the car park design altered to allow potential queuing space internally.
Safety
“The proposed access and highway layout is acceptable, however, the site area has changed since the pre-application and includes less internal roadway that could provide internal stacking space for the drive-thru.
“There should be no risk to the highway network in terms of vehicles queuing out onto Shrewsbury Road. This is in the interests of highway safety.”
McDonald’s carried out its out analysis of traffic at a restaurant of a similar size to that proposed for the Market Drayton site.
A letter from Catherine Chapman, on behalf of the company, to Shropshire Council said: “The access and the layout has been carefully designed in terms of its positioning to facilitate the required visibility, circulation of the car park for customers and delivery vehicles and with our assessment of the drive-thru queue capacity. The access position proposed is optimal for this site.”
The letter asserted there was no risk of vehicles queuing onto Shrewsbury Road.
In response WSP said: “Market Drayton is a small market town with no similar provision and therefore the proposal is likely to be of great attraction. The proposed location is within close proximity to the roundabout. There would be risk associated with any vehicles queuing.”dence fully."
