Judgement Day for McDonalds

The controversial planning application for a McDonalds take-away at the White Bear site in Tingley will be considered next Thursday when a City Council Plans Panel will decide if the application should be refused for a fifth time. McDonald’s have previously lodged four earlier applications for their take-away in a residential location all of which have been rejected by Leeds City Council with an appeal against one of the refusal decisions upheld by a Planning Inspector.

It is decision day for this fifth McDonalds application. The Plans Panel will visit the site at 11.20am on Thursday morning and will debate the application on Thursday afternoon from 1.30pm at Leeds Civic Hall. I would urge residents to turn up to the site visit so that Plans Panel members are clear about the strength of opposition to this plan.

Campaigners have stated that the proposal for a McDonald’s drive through take-away at the location would reduce Highways Safety and that the development would increase anti-social behaviour and litter in a residential area.

My colleague Cllr Wyn Kidger, who lives close to the site, tells me “This is the wrong location for a McDonalds. Their take-aways should be in Town Centres not in residential areas. The local community has lodged thousands of objections over the years these proposals have been pursued and I hope the plans Panel will reject the application.”