Councillors are calling for plans for the city's first drive-thru Mcdonald's to be heard at committee.

The plan is for the new restaurant to be part of the Tesco car park, in Easton Lane.

The new restaurant is expected to create more than 65 new jobs, which McDonald’s seeks to recruit from the local area.

The request has been submitted by Winchester city councillors, representing the St Bartholomew Ward, Cllrs Kathleen Becker, Paula Ferguson and John Tippett-Cooper.

They said: “It is expected that the proposal will generate significant amounts of traffic in what is already a very busy area and this will negatively impact those living on Easton Lane/Wales Street, as well as the surrounding area.

READ MORE: Winchester City councillor Sue Cook sends objection to McDonald's plan

“The traffic assessment completed focuses almost solely on the Tesco roundabout while not adequately taking into account the number of increased journeys on Easton Lane/Wales Street leading to McDonald's and the impact on residents living on those roads.

“The planning also fails to acknowledge the risk of people cutting through the Winnall estate to get to McDonald's.

“Although not a material planning concern, we are also very concerned about the amount of litter that may be caused by the establishment of a new McDonald's in this location, particularly by those choosing to take food away to eat and then not disposing of the rubbish appropriately.”

The councillors also said that despite the concerns, they support the employment benefits it offers.

Cllr Sue Cook submitted an objection to the plans, citing reasons such as increasing traffic and anti-social behaviour.

A McDonald’s spokesperson previously said: “We can confirm that we have submitted an application for a new drive-thru restaurant in Winchester, with the proposed location being the area of under-utilised car park alongside Tesco. We look forward to progressing with this application and believe a new McDonald’s restaurant would bring significant investment to the local community, as well as create at least 65 new jobs.”

The planning application is available to view on Winchester City Council's planning website. The code for the building is 22/00230/FUL.

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