Plans for McDonald's drive-thru next to A1(M) approved

North Yorkshire Council’s Richmond area planning committee gave the go-ahead to the scheme for land at Scotch Corner on Friday (July 10), after previously delaying a decision so councillors could visit the site.

The development will be built on a parcel of grassland immediately near the main Scotch Corner roundabout, around ten miles from Darlington.

The hybrid application, submitted by McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd, includes full planning permission for a drive-thru restaurant with associated access, servicing and landscaping.

The patch of land near the A1(M) (Image: GOOGLE)

Outline permission has also been approved for a dedicated electric vehicle charging facility on land to the north of the restaurant.

The restaurant will include indoor and outdoor seating, a children’s play area and toilets, and will have 55 parking spaces.

Four electric vehicle charging points will be installed in the restaurant car park, with a further eight bays futureproofed for chargers at a later date.

A separate EV charging facility with up to 20 charging bays is also planned.

The application had previously sparked concerns over traffic at Scotch Corner, with councillors warning at a June meeting that the roundabout was already difficult to navigate.

Those issues were still highlighted at Friday's meeting, with councillors and public speakers voicing concerns about the traffic and safety elements.

Friday's meeting heard from Middleton Tyas resident, Steve Hill, who spoke on behalf of several other residents to object to the application.

In his speech to the committee, Mr Hill urged councillors to refuse the application, saying "there's no need for another fast food restaurant at Scotch Corner, there's already five here."

He added that with the A66, traffic from the A1(M) and more proposed traffic from the upcoming Scotch Corner Designer Village, a McDonald's would "overwhelm" the road network.

Mr Hill described the application as "planning and traffic chaos", before adding that 17 objections and no letters of support had been received on the proposals.

"There's a clear risk to safety from this application. There's no safe crossing areas for people walking, and it creates more traffic for an already overwhelmed Scotch Corner roundabout."

Residents, parish councils and nearby businesses also raised objections, including concerns about congestion, road safety, litter, greenfield development and the number of existing or planned fast-food outlets in the area.

However, councillors hesitantly backed the plans unanimously.

At the meeting, councillor Kevin Foster said "there are no material reasons this can't be granted", and he reluctantly proposed the application for approval.

National Highways and North Yorkshire Council’s highways team did not object to the final proposals, subject to conditions.

The applicant’s transport consultant said 86 per cent of traffic would already be on the network, with 14 per cent being new trips.

The report also said the drive-thru lane could accommodate 16 vehicles, with an average queue of six vehicles expected at comparable sites and a forecast peak queue of 15 vehicles on Friday evenings.

Planning permission is subject to conditions and a legal agreement covering highway improvement works, biodiversity net gain requirements and a £5,000 contribution towards travel plan monitoring.

Highway works will include improvements to the existing access from the A6055, a widened access road, pedestrian and cycle access, speed control measures and a new central reserve designed to prevent U-turns.