Town centre McDonalds plan refused amid opposition

Planners submitted an artist's impression of the proposed McDonalds in Bingley

A councillor has questioned whether a plan to build a McDonalds drive thru in Bingley would have attracted as much opposition if it had been for a Bettys Tea Room.

An application to build the restaurant on the former Bingley Police Station site was refused by Bradford Council's planning panel on Wednesday after members heard hundreds of people had objected to the proposals.

Following a lengthy debate, the panel rejected advice from planning officers and refused the plans due to highways and parking concerns.

However, Councillor Sinead Engel, chair of the committee, said: "It seems to me like a large proportion of the objections are because this is a McDonalds."

Members of the planning panel were warned that the authority could struggle to defend any refusal if McDonalds appealed against the decision, and a successful appeal by the company could land taxpayers with a hefty bill.

Opening hours cut

The planning application for the long-empty Bradford Road site was submitted last year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The global food giant said the 96-seat, two-storey branch would employ 70 full-time staff and involve major investment into the town.

Councillors heard that although over 400 people had written in support of the plans, there had been over 500 objections.

Those ranged from concerns over traffic and parking to public health fears and worries that the restaurant would encourage unhealthy eating in the town.

There had also been questions over its proposed 24-hour opening time, but planning officers told the panel that McDonalds had agreed to reduce opening hours to 06:00-midnight in light of these concerns.

Current council policies prevent takeaways from opening within 1,310ft (400m) of a school or park, unless it is based in the centre of a city, town or village.

The policy was brought in over a decade ago in a bid to reduce obesity, but planning officers pointed out that with over 90 seats, the proposed site in Bingley would be classed as a restaurant rather than takeaway.

'Improve health'

During the meeting, Councillor Paul Sullivan described planners' suggestion that the application should be approved as "appalling", and also raised concerns the food outlet could lead to obesity among schoolchildren in Bingley.

Recommending the panel go against the officers' recommendation and refuse the plans, Councillor Mohammed Amran told members: "We're trying to improve the health of young people in the area. It might be a restaurant, but a lot of people will take food away."

However, council officers, including the authority's legal officer Bob Power, said rejecting the proposals without any clear planning reason could mean the council was on dangerous ground should McDonalds appeal against the decision.

Any application for costs should an appeal be lost by the council could prove pricey for the cash-strapped authority, he said.

Meanwhile, Engel asked: "If it was a Bettys Tea Room, which serves food that is equally as bad for you and also does takeaway, I don't think we'd have as many objections."

Following discussions, members refused the plans due to unsafe access into and out of the site and because of a lack of parking facilities.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.