Headingley: MP not loving plans for new McDonald's on pub crawl route

McDonald's says converting the bank to a fast food takeaway would create 80 jobs

A planned new McDonald's restaurant along the route of a renowned Leeds pub crawl would pour "fuel on the fire" of rowdy behaviour, an MP has said.

The fast food giant wants to open a new outlet in the former HSBC bank in Headingley, which is on the route of the "Otley Run" crawl.

But Leeds North West MP Alex Sobel said he was "deeply concerned" by the plan.

McDonald's said the restaurant's impact in terms of noise, activity and the local environment would be "minimised".

More than 40 people, including Mr Sobel and Leeds City Council's deputy leader Jonathan Pryor, have objected to the proposals.

The Labour MP said the area had a "significant" problem with the behaviour of some revellers on the crawl.

'Intimidating atmosphere'

In July, the council heard that at peak periods Headingley looked like the Spanish party resort of Magaluf.

Mr Sobel said he feared the takeaway would encourage "very drunk congregations on a busy high street across the afternoon and evening, creating litter and an intimidating atmosphere".

Mr Pryor, who represents Headingley and Hyde Park on the council, said the plans featured no parking provision, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"This means that despite restrictions, cars will be parking on local residential streets and cause a real danger for other road users and pedestrians."

Planning permission was granted to convert the former bank into a "high-end" restaurant in 2019, but those proposals never materialised.

The latest plans would see the diner be a "take-out"-only restaurant.

In its application, McDonald's said its plans presented "an excellent opportunity to bring this vacant building back into an active use".

The venture would also create around 80 jobs, 30 of them full-time, the firm said said.