Hundreds sign petition against Dewsbuy McDonald's drive thru and 260-homes plan

The new restaurant, on the corner of Leeds Road and John Ormsby VC Way, will be just a few hundred yards away from a proposed new Barratt estate with 260 homes.

The new McDonald’s, on land near Forrest Burlinson accountants and close to houses in Owl Lane, has been in the pipeline for around 12 months but is now set for approval. Around 65 jobs could be created.

Kirklees Council is also set to give the go-ahead for Barratt’s plans for fields further down Owl Lane, opposite Dewsbury Rams’ Tetley’s Stadium. The site runs up the side of Windsor Road and is close to the landmark Gawthorpe Water Tower, now a listed building.

Claire Thistleton, who set up the petition on the Change.org website, said: “I am not against development or McDonald’s but I am, however, against the impact it will cause on the housing and families in the area.”

Ms Thistleton said there would be noise, pollution, littering and a road safety danger for children. She was also concerned at McDonald’s proximity to primary schools and the potential impact on childhood obesity.

“There are seven McDonald’s (restaurants) in a five-mile radius from Shaw Cross. Another is unnecessary,” she added.

Ms Thistleton was also worried about the new housing estate and warned schools were “already full to the brim.”

Writing on the petition, signed by more than 250 people, she added: “The area is already over-developed with houses near the stadium, the roads are stretched at peak times.”

A report to Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee said there would be “no detrimental impact” on highway safety or residents’ amenity caused by McDonald’s.

The Barratt Homes plan was also set to be approved and was to include £200,000 towards junction improvements at Shaw Cross.

Dewsbury East councillor Aleks Lukic has raised concerns about the estate’s proximity to the recently-listed Water Tower.

He added: “I would welcome the 65-plus jobs that McDonald's would provide but there needs to be a clear plan to stop traffic queuing out of the site and blocking Owl Lane.”