A decision has been made on the expansion of the drive-thru at the McDonald’s restaurant in Bracknell.
The McDonald’s at The Keep has been open since 1998.
There have long been issues with the clashing demands of dine-in and drive-thru customers and deliveries.
Therefore, the company worked on a design to add a queuing lane to the drive-thru, which would have involved two large protected willow trees being cut down.
As the project was contentious, a decision had to be made by Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee.
There was a serious divide over whether the new arrangement would resolve traffic issues.
Catherine Chapman, director at ADL traffic and engineering, said: “The current layout is outdated with only one order point and space for 14 drive-through vehicles.
“This design no longer meets modern operational standards.
“ McDonald’s has sought to work with the council for more than a decade to find a solution.”
She said the reconfiguration of the site would reduce off-site queuing and improve safety for all users.
Ms Chapman added the change would reduce traffic in Mill Lane, upgrade ‘a valued local facility’and stated that 82 per cent of public commenter’s supported the change.
However, the project was recommended for refusal by council officers, as they were not convinced the extra drive-thru lane would help.
Patrick Smith (Liberal Democrats, Swinley Forest) said: “I personally have witnessed that traffic back not just onto Mil Park Lane, but well onto Wildridings Road, and in the very worst cases, I have seen it all the way onto the roundabout and back onto the dual carriageway.
“I think there are questions whether this will really resolve the problem.”
On deliveries and the conflict of dine-in and drive-thru customers, cllr Tony Virgo (Conservatives, Winkfield & Warfield East) said: “It seemed to be chaotic when we were down there, to be absolutely honest, and I can’t see this plan resolving that problem because there isn’t enough space on the site.
“That’s the problem. I do understand that people want this improved. I do get that.
“But, I do feel strongly that you cut down two amazing trees, and you [council officers] are not convinced about the other stuff, it just leaves us in a pickle.
“There are lots of pros, but unfortunately, like the balance in planning, the negatives seem too big for the approval so I can’t support it.”
Cllr Jenny Penfold (Labour, Hanworth) earlier said “very, very beautiful trees” would be lost.
Conversely, cllr Paul Bidwell (Labour, Easthampstead & Wildridings), who was not able to vote as he is not a committee member, said: “I would support the application for the main reason that the traffic is not going to get any better.
“And how long do we have to wait? How many other application cycles do we need to go through in order to get a resolution to that problem, and God forbid anything happens in the meantime?”
Councillors also mentioned a “log jam” created from the entry and exit points.
The project was unanimously refused on Thursday, September 11.
You can view the rejected application by typing reference 25/00280/FUL into the council’s planning portal.
