Southampton residents slam queues at KFC in Millbrook

Millbrook residents are being forced to sit through KFC and McDonald’s queues just to get to their front doors.

They have slammed the traffic which builds along Green Park Road off the Millbrook Roundabout as “annoying” and “inconvenient”.

One resident has complained the situation is particularly bad on a Tuesday when he says KFC offers a meal deal.

Mike Elliott said: “It’s a pain. It’s just an inconvenience more than anything. On Tuesday, It’s terrible. It’s the sort of traffic you have at the weekend.”

The 39-year-old builder says the queues can add another 15 minutes to his commute and has criticised delivery drivers who he says take residents’ parking spaces.

Mike added: “I think the whole road needs a rethink. We [the residents] are the ones who are suffering.”

Commenting on the issue, one social media user said: “Weekend lunchtimes are diabolical. The times are irrelevant. I do not want to schedule my comings and goings to suit these businesses.”

Traffic queues at McDonald's off the Millbrook roundabout in Southampton

Another added: “The KFC queue is always so slow. Sometimes it spills out onto the roundabout.”

Labour councillor for Redbridge, Lee Whitbread has hit out at the fast-food giants for their “failure to manage traffic” and is urging both outlets to review traffic management measures.

Lee Whitbread, councillor for Redbridge.

He said: “I will also be asking the planning department to look at what conditions exist and if possible, take relevant enforcement action if they fail to resolve the situation and I’ve also raised the issue with the highways team at Southampton City Council to explore what other measures can be taken.”

A spokesperson for McDonald’s said: “We are aware some queues have developed and apologise for any inconvenience caused. We will continue to monitor the situation and work with others to help explore solutions.”

A KFC spokesperson said “What a day… our fryers are pretty integral to serving delicious fried chicken, but today, they let us down meaning a backlog of orders and cars (and a lot of hungry fans) at our Millbrook Restaurant. We always want to be a good neighbour, and we know queues aren’t ideal, especially when they block the road for others. Never fear – they should be back up and running as normal today.”

The Daily Echo has asked KFC for more information.