Fast food giants McDonald’s have been given the green light to move their existing premises and drive- thru to a new location within a retail park car park.
Permission was sought for the change of use of an existing drive-thru restaurant to a shop and the erection of a new drive-thru building within the Hawkhill Retail Park.
The current restaurant location is the easternmost unit within Hawkhill Retail Park.
Planning permission was granted in 2002 for a change of use of this unit from retail to drive-thru restaurant.
The unit is currently occupied by McDonald’s. It is some 358sqm in area and uses the easternmost end of the retail park car park as its drive-thru lane.
The rest of the retail park comprises a B&Q (Unit 1), a B&M and Morrison’s to the south.
McDonald’s have indicated that should Unit Four return to retail use, it would likely be used by B&M to expand their existing operation.
Following discussions with planning officers, in order to discontinue the existing drive-thru, details of proposed shop-front modifications to remove the service hatches has been provided, as have details of removal of signage and other existing drive-thru infrastructure.
The applicants have advised that the existing drive-thru lane also provides service access to an existing electricity sub-station.
It is proposed to build the new drive-thru in the south-western corner of the retail park car park. The building would be two-storeys with a ground floor footprint of some 260sqm.
Saltcoats and Stevenston cllr Jim Montgomerie said: “The part of the car park they are proposing this new building goes is not really used as there are ample car parking spaces elsewhere.
“This is basically a like-for-like and although the two businesses are proposing to be larger – with McDonald’s moving to B&M – this is going to bring some more employment to Stevenston which is very much needed.”
Committee chair Cameron Inglis said they needed assurances that the old drive-thru would not remain open while the new one was still running.
Chief Planning Officer Allan Finlayson said the granting of the application was conditional on stopping the use of the existing drive-thru.
Cllr Montgomerie proposed to grant the application and this was seconded by cllr McTiernan and unanimously agreed by the committee.
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