Councillors Reject 'Corporate America' McDonald's Bid For Cowes Restaurant After Residents Outcry

We do not deserve to let ‘corporate America’ dictate the ‘destruction’ of the British countryside, Isle of Wight councillors were told before they blocked a multi-million-pound McDonald’s scheme this week.

Cowes residents railed against the proposed fast-food development next to Three Gates Road at Tuesday’s (July 28) planning committee meeting, voicing fears such as having to open curtains each morning to ‘illuminated signs’ and ‘queues of traffic’ in place of green space.

Despite being told the proposal would result in a ‘high-quality’ new restaurant with ‘direct’ job creation associated with economic growth by the applicant’s agent, planning consultant Mike Spurgeon, the panel unanimously voted to reject the application.

Conservative councillor Matthew Price said he respected the employment opportunities McDonald’s brings to ‘young people in particular’ but added that the proposed outlet was in the wrong place on the edge of a residential development.

The Fairlee and Whippingham representative proposed a refusal in line with council officers’ prior recommendations to reject the application.

Cllr Andrew Garratt, who leads the Liberal Democrat group, said the scheme’s deficiencies were ‘very well laid out’ by planners.

An officer report said the plans fail to show how the McDonald’s would prevent ill-health in the community.

It also cited an ‘adverse’ impact on the character and appearance of the area, insufficient information on ecology and biodiversity net gain, and the lack of a legal agreement to secure a contribution towards Rights of Way.

One objector, Alexis Hollis, told the committee: “My front door is approximately six metres from the proposed site and for over a year this proposal has dominated our lives, causing months of anxiety and uncertainty.

“Imagine if this was your home. Imagine opening your curtains every morning to illuminated signs and queues of traffic where there is currently green space. Imagine trying to sleep while headlights sweep repeatedly across your bedroom.

“Imagine sitting in your garden with the sound of engines and fast-food smells replacing bird song and nature. We do not deserve to have to fight against planning applications from multinational corporations and let corporate America dictate the destruction of the British countryside.”

Local McDonald’s franchisee Steve Smith said the restaurant would create between 100 and 120 new local jobs in Cowes in addition to the ‘270 people’ he already employs across his existing restaurants.

“These flexible full and part-time roles offer clear progression, training, and development with as many guaranteed hours contracts as required,” he said.

“Around 70 per cent of our employees are under 24. We pay above the minimum wage for under 18s and above the national living wage for those aged 18 and over.

“McDonald’s also offers more than 20 apprenticeship pathways from entry-level qualifications to degree level programs such as the one that my business manager, Chelsea, in Newport is currently in her last year of and she’s set for first class honours.”

Mr Smith added that being a ‘good neighbour’ is ‘equally important’ and mentioned McDonald’s ‘extensive litter patrols’ as well as the community projects he has been involved in, including community garden renovations, setting up Newport Business Association and being a founding governor of The Island Free School in Ventnor.

Mr Spurgeon said: “Given the conclusions reached by the inspector in the Basildon appeal decision…as per those findings, there’s no evidence to convincingly demonstrate that there would be specific harm to public health as a result of this proposal.

“It’s a case that 90 per cent of the core menu items have less than 500 calories and there is now a wide choice of food and drink items available.

“The proposed restaurant has been carefully designed to minimise impacts from noise, odour or grease while a lighting strategy has been designed to limit glare and light spill.

“These measures along with placing limits on opening hours would ensure the restaurant would not result in unacceptable impacts on nearby residential properties.”