A public consultation has been launched on plans for a McDonald’s drive-thru in Kendal.
The fast food chain is seeking views from people living in the area its proposal to create a drive-thru on the eastern edge of South Lakes Retail Park.
If successful – the new development would be a multi-million pound investment into the area and would deliver around 120 new jobs – both full and part time – with career progression opportunities.
The proposed location is accessible from the A6 and A685 and is situated on ‘underutilised’ parking spaces in the retail park. McDonald’s is also looking to improve pedestrian access to the site.
Plans to protect neighbouring commercial units in the area have also been put forward.
These include locating customer order displays away from nearby properties, adding control measures to limit cooking odours, the installation of a sensitive lighting scheme and three daily litter picks in the vicinity of the restaurant.
Westmorland and Furness Council will also gain from the development a proportion of £30,000 of business rates per annum to support local services.
An online portal has been developed with further detail about the proposals, and a newsletter has been distributed to residents.
Oliver Rebeiro, senior acquisitions surveyor at McDonald’s, said: “We’re excited to start sharing our plans for a new McDonald’s restaurant to the Kendal community.
“This development would deliver around 120 new, local jobs, and provide a multi-million-pound investment into the local economy, at a time of economic uncertainty.
“The site, located on South Lakes Retail Park, is ideally placed to serve residents and visitors in Kendal.
“We’re confident that residents and local businesses will recognise the value of greater choice, and the benefits of having a reliable and convenient restaurant from a recognised brand serving food at reasonable prices.
“We’re looking forward to working closely with the community and receiving feedback on our plans. We’d like to encourage everyone interested to go to our website and make their views known.”
The online public consultation can be accessed at www.mcdonaldsconsultation.co.uk/kendal. It will close on Friday February 23.
Residents are invited to attend a public exhibition of the plans which will be held on Thursday February 15 at Kendal Rugby Club, Mint Bridge, Shap Road, LA9 6NY. The event will run from 2pm to 7pm.
