Local opposition is mounting against new plans to build a McDonald’s near John Kyrle High School, the town council’s planning committee have suggested declining the application.

At the planning and development sub-committee meeting, August 16, councillors agreed that plans to build a 426sqm McDonald’s drive-through restaurant on Gloucester Road, at the A40 A449 junction, should not go ahead and that they would recommend refusal to Herefordshire Council.

The committee’s concerns are mostly about the impact the McDonald’s would have on the town centre should it be approved. Concerns were also raised about the likely increase in traffic to the area which hasn’t been addressed in the application. They added that the change of use of the site will result in a loss of required housing which already has approval. It was also minuted at the meeting that it would be in violation of the Ross design policy which says that all new developments should be of good design and make a positive contribution to the character of Ross.

A local campaign has been mounted to express residents’ opposition to the development. A leaflet has been delivered to a number of residents expressing concerns over what a new McDonald’s could mean.

The flyer cited a study which was done in partnership with journalistic.org which asserts that living within walking distance of a McDonald’s can lower house prices by up to 24 per cent. It added that the expected 2,400 extra cars a day would cause congestion for Ross residents; and that the increased traffic, especially close to a school would pose a physical danger to walkers and cyclists as well as additional public health risks.

Ross resident Catherine Kirkham-Sandy told the Gazette: “I don’t support the application as I believe we need to preserve the local character. The town is at risk of turning into a glorified service station.”

Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman told the Gazette: “I have been working with local residents on this issue almost from the outset. There are very serious concerns about this development from those who are most directly affected, and I have specifically written to Herefordshire Council to highlight what appear to be procedural irregularities with the planning process. I and my team will continue to support local people as they engage with councillors, officers, and planners.”

Ross resident Caroline Miller said: “Ross residents are waking up to the fact that McDonald’s will have a negative effect on the whole community. Ross Town Council’s unanimous vote to put in a strong objection to their application reflects this.

‘‘Locals are worried that 2,400 cars visiting McDonald’s will obviously snarl up traffic on all roads round Ross.”

She added: “Shops will have trade sucked away from the town centre with their 118-seater restaurant and drive-through on the edge of town.

‘‘Businesses in Ross are struggling to fill their vacancies; the current labour pool is already too small. Why is this inside a housing estate and not on the derelict café site on the A40, or as part of the current services?”

Popular Ross-on-Wye based Twitter account @RossonWyeRising said: “Huge public health issue having McDonald’s basically next door to a large secondary school. Labels roundabout will be even more of a disaster. Pollution too with idling traffic, more toxic, at drive-through 18 hours a day seven days a week.” They added that allowing the development ‘would be letting our young people down and the wrong direction for the town’: “Such a shame. Anti small business too just when our eateries in town need support.”

The town council’s planning and development sub-committee have said that the application contravenes many policies within Ross-on-Wye neighbourhood development plan.

Town council policies say that further edge-of-centre and out-of-centre retail developments, especially large scale, should normally be declined.

The air quality assessment which has been submitted as part of the application has said whilst the proposed development will generate additional traffic on the local road network, the assessment has shown that there will be no significant effects. It adds that a travel plan has been prepared for the restaurant, to encourage the use of sustainable transport.

The submitted assessment claims that: “Overall, the construction and operational air quality effects of the McDonald’s restaurant are judged to be not significant.”

A supporting statement from McDonald’s has said that cycle and pedestrian access points has been included within the design, to ensure the safe passage from the surrounding footpath network. The supporting statement also claims that the restaurant will maintain a strict protocol for ensuring noise and disturbance is kept to a minimum, and that all shift managers shall receive conflict resolution training sufficient to ensure they can deal effectively with noise or anti-social behaviour.

To meet their carbon emissions targets, McDonald’s says it buys 100 per cent renewable electricity and has invested in long term partnership agreements to develop the renewable energy infrastructure in the UK.