McDonalds bid at former pub rejected (From Daily Echo)
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Planners in Totton turn down plan for old Red Lion pub site over road safety fears
10:06am Friday 7th December 2012 in News
By Patrick Knox, Senior Reporter
McDonalds bid at former pub rejected
FAST food giant McDonald’s latest bid to build a new restaurant and drive-thru has been rejected by influential community leaders.
The company had returned with a new and improved plan for the former Red Lion pub site in Commercial Road, Totton, after it dropped its original scheme earlier this year following a barrage of local opposition.
The new plan claims to address road safety with new pedestrian links to the town centre and an extra drive-thru lane to cut waiting times.
But planners on Totton and Eling Town Council have unanimously voted to refuse it, chiefly because of crime and road safety.
Speaking at a planning committee meeting, vice chairman Chris Lagdon said: “It will destroy a nice part of Totton and we should be fighting this tooth and nail.”
New Forest District Council planners will now take the vote into consideration when they decide on planning permission in January.
A major concern for town councillors in Totton is that it will cause accidents because vehicles enter and exit on to a sharp bend.
Cllr Lagdon said a busy drive-thru would make access to a neighbouring school difficult.
He said: “If it goes ahead as it is there will be serious, serious problems so far as traffic going in and out is concerned.”
He dismissed Hampshire County Council’s highways department’s lack of objections as a “crock of rubbish”.
Another fear is that the restaurant could attract yobs from the town and Millbrook.
A gang of youths recently had their plot for a mass brawl thwarted by police who had been monitoring social |networking sites.
But the fast food restaurant says its plan, revised after 84 local objections earlier this year, would breathe life into the site and create 65 jobs.
Henry Tricky, the company’s vice president (development), said that the company had listened to the concerns of the council and believed that they have now addressed them.
He said: “We’re excited about the prospect of investing in Totton and continuing to work with the council with our |proposal.”
Totton has also been targeted by KFC and Costa Coffee, which want to open on the same site off the Rushington roundabout.
That plan would create 60 jobs.
Comments(24)
rich the stitch
says...
10:27am Fri 7 Dec 12
eurogordi
says...
10:32am Fri 7 Dec 12
Lone Ranger.
says...
10:38am Fri 7 Dec 12
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Umm nice part of Totton ....... does this joker actually know where the old Red Lion was .......... Its a dump.
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I would have thought that a bright new McD would have improved the place.
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With people like vice chairman Chris Lagdon running Totton it will always be a lousy place
elvisimo
says...
10:40am Fri 7 Dec 12
Cant be that nice a part of Totton of they are worried about Crime and "yobs"
Also - they are not responsible for the neighbouring communities behavior or lack of it. Slightly less likely to cause problems that a pub.
whufan
says...
11:29am Fri 7 Dec 12
thesotonsaint
says...
11:32am Fri 7 Dec 12
"Another fear is that the restaurant could attract yobs from the town and Millbrook. "
Art more holier than thou? More like more deluded.......take a look at your own dump before casting dispersions on others. I am going to protest anything ever being built in Southampton again, as it could attract people from totton, euwwwww.....
hulla baloo
says...
11:40am Fri 7 Dec 12
elvisimo wrote:Possibly right on your first sentence. I believe many companies use the initial application to discover what the Council will and will not accept, and change their plans accordingly. I would expect to see a Mcdonalds there soon.
The will get planning on appeal anyway. Planning process is very straight forward.
Cant be that nice a part of Totton of they are worried about Crime and "yobs"
Also - they are not responsible for the neighbouring communities behavior or lack of it. Slightly less likely to cause problems that a pub.
Big Mac
says...
12:38pm Fri 7 Dec 12
gillyman
says...
1:35pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Dr Alimantado
says...
1:41pm Fri 7 Dec 12
whufan
says...
1:50pm Fri 7 Dec 12
gillyman wrote:Breathe.
its better to refuse planning permission and keep the picturesque burnt out building as there does not appear to be a queue to purchase the site as for totton influential leaders and comments about millbrook i think its about time you woke up and smelt the coffee as you have a problem with your own people which you need to deal with instead of blaming others
bazzeroz
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2:13pm Fri 7 Dec 12
bazzeroz
says...
2:13pm Fri 7 Dec 12
sotonandproud
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2:30pm Fri 7 Dec 12
sotonandproud
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2:30pm Fri 7 Dec 12
boilerman
says...
3:19pm Fri 7 Dec 12
The pub was there a long time before the build up of houses and traffic in Totton.
I doubt planning would be granted for anything today if the site was empty.
Meandyou
says...
4:17pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Totton & Eling Town Council do not make the decision; NFDC are the planning authority.
The Town Council can only object to the plan NOT refuse it.
bigfella777
says...
4:21pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Whats wrong with plastic and paper blowing all over the lower test nature reserve anyway, the geese would love it.
tonyholbury69
says...
5:12pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Its an eyesore and anyhow who want to eat soggy burgers after the usual spring tide floods,LOL!
I agree that the traffic would have problems leaving the site if they turn right.
Its bad enough turning left from the totton retail site, no bugger lets you out!!
It took years to get a KFC out here in the Holbury backwater, a Mickey D is proposed but I'd rather have a burger king myself, not that I'm plugging them but Mickey D's burgers are getting smaller then polo mints, I'd rather pay for a decent burger from a van then a big Gold M and an expensive franchise payback...at least they are not another ruddy coffee shop!!
Tony
andysaints007
says...
11:50pm Fri 7 Dec 12
Solomon's Boot
says...
8:22am Sat 8 Dec 12
rich the stitch wrote:Hahahaaa CLASSIC!!!
Being from Millbrook they would probably think the new McDonalds would have a different menu.
Scrutinizer
says...
9:12am Sat 8 Dec 12
shirleyboy
says...
1:52am Mon 31 Dec 12
G0Rf says...
10:20am Fri 7 Dec 12
I dont want a mcdonalds because im frightened the yobs from millbrook might come and cause trouble!
There is a KFC and mcdonalds in millbrook, so why would a mcdonalds attract these yobs?