A FAST food company has suffered a major blow to its plans to put up a new advertising sign alongside a Hampshire motorway.

McDonald’s wanted to install an eight-metre high “golden arches” sign on the eastbound carriageway of the M27 at Rownhams services.

But Test Valley councillors rejected the scheme ruling there are already enough signs advertising McDonald’s in the area and the proposed sign would have had a “negative impact” on the landscape.

Romsey Tadburn wards councillor Mark Cooper said that when the M27 was built tree planting measures had been taken alongside the road to reduce the impact on the surrounding countryside.

“This eight-metre (26ft tall) sign would be higher than a house and it would be letting down the people who built and designed the motorway. They tried to mitigate the impact the motorway has on the area and the proposed signage contradicts this,” said Mr Cooper.

Nursling and Rownhams member Nigel Anderdon said he believed any signs pointing the way to McDonald’s should be well in advance of the sliproad to the service station.

“It is in the services, it doesn’t need to be eight-metres high. There are plenty of signs already. I feel that it would be dangerous to put it in the services. It’s the wrong sign in the wrong place,” he said.

However, borough highways chief Ray Alborough pointed out to the committee the sign was similar to ones on a nearby bridge over the motorway and Highway England had not objected to the proposal.