McDonald’s drive through allowed to open until midnight despite concerns

A fast food restaurant will be allowed to serve customers until midnight, despite fears over antisocial behaviour.

The McDonald’s drive-through and restaurant in Civic Way, Burgess Hill, has been granted permission to extend its trading by an additional two hours each day.

The new permissions mean the restaurant can open from 6am until 12am. Its previous trading hours were 7am to 11am.

Mid Sussex District Council officers approved the plans despite receiving 16 objections from residents living nearby.

Concerns raised included increased noise, antisocial behaviour, traffic, litter, odour and the potential for greater impact on a growing residential area.

One objector said: “Although I acknowledge it’s not their [McDonalds’] problem, the car park tends to attract groups of individuals in vehicles or on motorcycles late in the evening, particularly during the summer months.

“They use it as a spot to congregate, play loud music, rev up their motors and race.

“It disturbs the peace of this residential area and disrupts sleep patterns.”

Another said: “I live opposite the car park adjacent to McDonald’s and already experience the full impact of the current trading hours.

“The restaurant is well used, resulting in the car park being frequented by mainly younger car drivers causing excessive noise with extremely loud music, sounding car horns, revving of car engines, shouting and reckless driving.

“This is a frequent occurrence particularly during the lighter evenings, weekends and bank holidays, making it impossible to sleep at times.

“If the hours of opening are extended as proposed, then the restaurant will continue to serve food up to midnight, with the potential for more noise and disturbance into the early hours of the morning.

“This would significantly impact my general health, well being and quality of life.

Coaches banned for summer from one of Sussex’s most popular beaches

National park forced to back down in five-year-long planning battle over gates

120 new homes planned for village where 300 others are set to be built

Multiple residents also pointed to a “visible rat population” and suggested extended opening hours would serve to worsen this problem, while Burgess Hill Town Council stated it echoed residents’ concerns.

Despite this, district council planning officers concluded that the extended hours would not cause “significant harm” to the surrounding neighbourhood.

Officers noted that the restaurant’s noise impact assessment found “no meaningful change in overall noise climate”, but acknowledged it could not “fully eliminate the risk of how customers behave during the extended hours”.

McDonald’s previously applied to extend its opening hours at the site in 2005 and 2009, but both applications were refused.

Search for an article