McDonald's expansion in Ireland has been halted following appeals from individual protesters in Westmeath and Waterford.
Last month, planning authorities in two counties gave the go-ahead for new McDonald's drive-thru restaurants at Lakepoint Retail and Business Park in Mullingar and Waterford Retail Park in Butterstown, County Waterford.
As part of its ongoing expansion in Ireland, McDonald's has also submitted further planning applications for new drive-thru restaurants in New Ross, County Wexford, Thurles, County Tipperary, and Carrigaline, County Cork.
McDonald's has also unveiled plans to refurbish its flagship Dublin restaurant at 62 O'Connell Street, Upper, which first opened in 1979.
The proposals by the American company, headquartered in counties Westmeath and Waterford, met with little resistance, with only one objection lodged in each case.
However, the only protesters – Ray Leonard from County Westmeath and Michael Feehan from County Kilkenny – have now lodged appeals with An Bord Pleanála against the planning permissions.
Both protesters live quite a distance from the planned McDonald's restaurants: Mr Feehan's address is in Graig Lower, Cuffsgrange, Co Kilkenny, and Mr Leonard's is in Kinnegad, Co Westmeath.
In his initial objection to McDonald's drive-thru plan in Waterford, Mr Feehan argued that the development would “significantly change the character of the retail warehouse park”.
He noted that the project “is intended to promote single-use vehicle use and is not intended to support or provide synergies with any other use of the park.”
Mr Feehan also added that McDonald's proposal “would have a negative impact on existing restaurants and takeaways across the region, including in the city centre and district centres”.
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Mr Feehan also said the pass would “negatively impact on the viability and profitability of the city centre and district centre by increasing traffic to a site located on the outskirts”.
In his appeal to An Bord Pleanála against Mullingar McDonald's, Mr Leonard noted that “while the development will have a role in providing food for estate workers, it will primarily operate as a one-off service facility targeting car-borne customers, which will have a negative impact on the commercial viability and sustainability of the town centre and is contrary to the 'town centre first' principle.”
Mr Leonard added that “this development would be contrary to the 'city centre first' approach which is key to any sustainable and sustainable development
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
