Didcot Town Councillors Oppose McDonald's Plan for 24-Hour Opening
Key Highlights :
The town councillors of Didcot have opposed an application by the McDonald's branch in the Orchard Centre to extend its licence from 11pm until 5am. The fast food chain had applied to serve customers for 24 hours a day, but the councillors raised fears of noise and anti-social behaviour being a disturbance to nearby homeowners.
Councillor David Rouane said: “If it was in the middle of the Orchard Centre and people were coming into the big car park then we wouldn’t be objecting because no one lives there. “But where it is, there are flats on the Broadway straight opposite, and they will have a stream of cars into the car park that are treating it like a drive-through. “If you live in Broadway then you are used to noise and commotion at 11pm just after closing time. “But 24 hours would have cars coming in at 3am. We’re just concerned about the general noise.”
Councillor Chris Jennings was also worried about delivery drivers working all hours of the night. He said: “The main issue is that it’s on the edge of a residential area and we are concerned with the little scooters and the delivery drivers because that is an important part of the business model these days. But it’s a noise concern in a residential area. “It’s one of those difficult decisions. It would be nice to order a McDonald’s at three in the morning, but at the end of the day it means you will have people whizzing to collect it. “And it won’t just bring in people from the local area. Having it open all hours will mean you have people coming from all over. “Delivery vehicles and things like that coming and going at various times of the day and night is going to have an impact on nearby residents’ lives. “I have seen it in other towns when delivery drivers hang around waiting for the next job, they don’t sit inside the restaurant, they are all outside.”
Mr Jennings also expressed his concern about the possibility of anti-social behaviour. He said: “It means you will have people hanging around and talking at all hours of the night “There’s possibly a risk of anti-social behaviour. One wouldn’t want to pre-empt it, and they (McDonald’s) work very hard to make sure it doesn’t happen, but there is that possibility.”
The application for the extended opening hours will be decided at a licensing hearing next Thursday, October 19. The councillors' objections are a reminder of the importance of considering the impact that businesses have on local communities, and it is important to ensure that the needs of both residents and businesses are taken into account.
