McDonald’s is overturning UK council attempts to stop new branches by claiming it promotes “healthier lifestyles”.
The fast food giant has successfully appealed planning decisions against local authorities in some of England’s most deprived areas where one in four kids leaving primary school are obese, reports The British Medical Journal (BMJ).
McDonald’s argues that customers can order salads from its drive-through branches, that they could cycle or walk there, and that its sponsorship of local football teams encourages health and well-being.
The company, which plans to open 200 new restaurants across the UK and Ireland over the next four years, has also enlisted a specialist GP to argue that obesity is caused by “over a hundred” factors other than fast food, and that its menu offers nutritious and low-calorie options.
Experts told The BMJ that the threat of a McDonald’s appeal has a chilling effect on councils, making them more likely to approve a planning application for a new branch despite their public health concerns.
Dr Amelia Lake, a public health nutrition expert at Teesside University, said: “Appeals involve an awful lot of human resources as well as work, and local authorities are very anxious about financial consequences.
“It’s a perfect storm for which a well-organised, financially-fuelled machine can go in and present the evidence that might sway an inspector.”
The BMJ probe revealed that McDonald’s has lodged 14 appeals with the Planning Inspectorate – the central government agency that oversees appeals against local authority planning decisions – over the past five years.
The company has lost only one case and two cases are still ongoing. The BMJ did not list a Scottish example, but in a 2024 case in Norwich, McDonald’s argued that customers could order salad, coffee and meals of “under 400 calories” from its proposed drive-through branch, claiming “a notable amount of custom will be on foot or cycle”.
The appeal was upheld by the Planning Inspectorate in May 2024 and the restaurant is set to open mid-2025, marking Norwich’s tenth McDonald’s.
In Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, McDonald’s sought to downplay the council’s concerns over a branch’s proximity to three primary schools and its potential health impact, asserting “children are likely to visit the restaurant with a supervising adult who can support the child to make responsible food choices.”
The appeal was upheld and the restaurant was inaugurated by the local youth football team, Ravenshead FC, in December 2023. Their kit was sponsored by McDonald’s, with the brand’s golden arches emblazoned on the shirts.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “Local decision making is a critical part of the planning application process, and we always want to work in partnership with local councils to ensure our plans are right for the community.”
As of January 2025, there were 113 McDonald’s restaurants in Scotland.