Shrewsbury could get third McDonald's restaurant at former Dragon King site
McDonald's has revealed plans to build a third drive-thru restaurant in Shrewsbury.
Proposals have been submitted to Shropshire Council for a new 4,000 sq ft branch at the site of the former Dragon King Chinese restaurant on Old Potts Way.
The site is also home to Cineworld Shrewsbury, The Beaten Track Harvester restaurant and the town's Nando's.
Shrewsbury currently has two McDonald's franchises at Meole Brace Retail Park and Battlefield. The Pride Hill branch in the town centre closed in February 2017 after 34 years of trading.
Plans would involve demolishing the old Dragon King restaurant, which was previously a Fatty Arbuckle's, and creating a new building which would employ 60 staff.
The proposals include the reconfiguration of the existing car park to facilitate the larger unit and drive-thru lane with an overall loss of 44 parking spaces to 414, including 18 reserved for blue badge holders and two grill bays.
A statement filed on behalf of the applicant, ESN (Scotland) Ltd, said: "Overall, the proposal is considered to be in an acceptable location, will increase footfall to this part of Shrewsbury in an established leisure park location and will create 60 new jobs.
"It will be capable of operating in a manner that is acceptable in overall planning terms."
Within the design and access statement, a quote from Shropshire Council's conservation officer has been included which reads: "This block along Old Potts Way comprises a series of modern commercial buildings and the demolition of the existing restaurant would not raise objection in terms of loss of a heritage asset.
"The boundary of the Shrewsbury Conservation Area (Abbey Foregate Special Character Area) runs along the Rea Brook to the north-east of the subject site where these commercial properties are outside of the Conservation Area boundary. With this in mind and given the proximity of higher level designated heritage assets in the wider area such as the Shrewsbury Abbey to the north along Abbey Foregate, while there would be no objection to a new restaurant here it should comprise an acceptable colour scheme and external finishes suitable to the context of the area. And signage should be kept modest and not of an excessive height if of the standalone type, with external illumination kept to a low level."
The applicant considered the former Waitrose and Burger King site at the top of Pride Hill, but chose to look for somewhere which would accommodate a drive-thru.
No comments from members of the public have been submitted on the application so far.
Meole Brace is regularly fraught with traffic problems at lunchtimes, evenings and weekends, so residents will be hopeful the new restaurant could take away some of the demand.
McDonald's opened its first "net-zero" branch in Market Drayton in December last year, creating around 80 jobs.
To view the application for the Old Potts Way restaurant in full, visit bit.ly/3BP3Ovx
