McDonald's plan approved after appeal
Plans for a new McDonald's drive-through that had been refused near a "dangerous" Derbyshire junction have been approved by a government inspector.
The fast food giant had an application for a restaurant off The Castle Way, next to the A38, near Willington, rejected last April by South Derbyshire District Council - against recommendations of council officers.
Hundreds of residents objected to the plans, with some arguing the proposed site was near an "unsafe junction", which is the entry and exit slipway to the A38.
Planning inspector S Dean overturned the authority's decision at appeal, saying all junctions around the site have "sufficient capacity to accommodate the proposal".
The site sits opposite a BP petrol station and the OK Diner and is currently occupied by a skip storage company, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
Diane Stevenson, who owns a florist in Willington, had told the BBC: "I just don't think it's a safe junction, there's not enough of a slip road for you pulling off on to the A38, on to a 70mph road from such a short slip road.
"It's dangerous as it is now, so extra traffic coming through that junction, I just don't think it's a good idea."
Sue Bussey, who has lived on The Castle Way for more than 60 years, said she had attended accidents on the road many times.
Residents also raised concerns about noise, litter and anti-social behaviour the drive-through would bring to the area.
Mr Dean wrote in his decision: "I accept that in highway terms, there is a lot of activity around the site, with access to and from the A38, as well as residential accesses, multiple accesses for the filling station/diner, as well as the junction between The Castle Way and the A5132.
"However, neither the council, county highways nor National Highways raise any objection on highway safety grounds.
"Traffic modelling, including modelling traffic growth and undertaking new traffic-counts, has found that all of the junctions around the site have sufficient capacity to accommodate the proposal."
He also said the area was "already a somewhat busy environment, with near-constant road noise from the A38" and noise from vehicles using the junctions around the site.
"Given the existing level of vehicle movements as well as the relatively minor additional level of movement associated with the proposal, I do not consider that this would cause unacceptable harm to living conditions," he said.
Mr Dean concluded the project would bring employment and economic benefits to the area, which aligned with policies from the council.
Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.
Villagers not lovin' 'dangerous' McDonald's plan
England's McDonald's-free county gets restaurant
HM Planning Inspectorate
South Derbyshire District Council
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
McDonald's Shares Slip as GLP-1 Risks Spur Rare Sell Rating
(Bloomberg) -- McDonald's Corp. shares slipped on Tuesday after Redburn Atlantic gave the burger chain its sole sell rating, saying shifting consumer patterns due to weight-loss drugs and inflation are cause for concern. Most Read from Bloomberg Shares of McDonald's fell as much as 1.8% to a March low on the downgrade, a two-notch cut from Redburn's previous buy rating. Redburn held a buy rating on the stock since initiating coverage in 2023. As more Americans turn to GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic to lose weight, McDonald's could see as much as a $428 million annual impact to revenue, representing about 1% of system sales, Redburn Atlantic analysts Chris Luyckx and Edward Lewis wrote. 'A 1% drag today could easily build to 10% or more over time, particularly for brands skewed toward lower-income consumers or group occasions.' The analysts also cut the price target on McDonald's to a Street-low $260, implying a more than 13% decline from where the stock closed on Tuesday. Shares have dropped for seven straight days, their longest losing streak in nearly 12 years, after closing just below a record high in mid-May. Redburn's lowered recommendation was just the latest downgrade for the fast-food giant, which was recently knocked down to hold-equivalent ratings at Morgan Stanley, Loop Capital and Erste Group. Analysts remain largely split on the stock, with 22 buy-equivalent ratings, 18 hold-equivalent ratings and an average price target of $332, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. McDonald's US same-stores sales fell 3.6% in the first-quarter of this year, marking the largest decline since 2020 when people were stuck at home during the pandemic. Fast-food restaurants like McDonald's have also seen a decline in traffic in 40 of the past 43 months, according to the analysts. In addition to the McDonald's call, Redburn also launched coverage of Domino's Pizza Inc. with a sell rating, while starting Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. as a new neutral. YUM! Brands, Inc., which owns popular brands KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, was raised to buy from neutral given the stock's 'reasonable' valuation. Despite the slump, McDonald's has increased its average transaction amount through pricing, but lower-income consumers are now opting to eat more at home as the price difference between home and restaurant food increases, according to the report.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
New nationwide study ranks best and worst fast-food fries in America
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – In a new ranking based on tens of thousands of customer reviews, one fast food chain has officially been crowned the king of fast-food fries in America. Federal minimum wage would rise to $15 under Sen. Hawley bill The study, conducted by Seating Masters, analyzed over 40,000 Yelp reviews mentioning fries across 21 major fast-food chains. In-N-Out topped the list with an average rating of 3.86 out of 5, based on 7,595 reviews across 25 locations. The California-based chain's fresh-cut fries, prepared in-store daily, garnered the highest praise from customers–despite its limited geographic footprint compared to national giants. Shake Shack claimed second place with a 3.7 average from 17,018 reviews across 45 locations. The chain's crinkle-cut fries, which were temporarily removed from the menu in 2013 and brought back due to popular demand, have since regained favor among customers. Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers rounded out the top three with a 3.59 rating, based on 2,396 reviews at 47 locations. Known for its thin, crispy shoestring fries, Freddy's earned high marks for flavor and texture. Bojangles, a Southern regional favorite, landed in fourth with a 3.51 rating, while Chick-fil-A followed in fifth place with 3.4. The chicken chain's waffle fries, beloved for their dippable design and crispy bite, continue to be a standout menu item. Raising Cane's, Zaxby's, Arby's, Hardee's, and Checkers/Rally's completed the top 10 list. Notably, Arby's curly fries helped secure its eighth-place finish with a 2.89 average rating. Top 10 Fast-Food Chains for Fries: In-N-Out Burger – 3.86 Shake Shack – 3.7 Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers – 3.59 Bojangles – 3.51 Chick-fil-A – 3.4 Raising Cane's – 3.24 Zaxby's – 2.98 Arby's – 2.89 Hardee's – 2.86 Checkers/Rally's – 2.84 On the opposite end of the spectrum, KFC was rated the worst for fast-food fries, earning an average of 1.77 from 175 reviews across 50 locations. Despite its status as a fried chicken powerhouse, the chain's side offering left much to be desired, according to customer feedback. In a surprising result, McDonald's–the brand long synonymous with fast-food French fries–ranked second to last with a 1.91 rating from 1,381 reviews. Burger King followed closely behind with a 1.92 average from 623 reviews, reinforcing ongoing criticism of its fries despite repeated recipe overhauls. Church's Chicken and Popeyes also found themselves in the bottom five, scoring 1.9 and 2.0,8, respectively. Bottom 5 Fast-Food Chains for Fries: KFC – 1.77 McDonald's – 1.91 Burger King – 1.92 Church's Chicken – 1.9 Popeyes – 2.08 The study looked specifically at reviews that mentioned fries and aggregated data from various locations nationwide to provide what it calls the most comprehensive snapshot to date. While chains like McDonald's and Burger King may dominate in scale, it's the regional favorites and quality-focused brands like In-N-Out that are winning over fry lovers with freshness, flavor, and consistency. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
McDonald's (MCD) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: What You Should Know
McDonald's (MCD) ended the recent trading session at $300.43, demonstrating a -1.43% swing from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's change was less than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.55%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.25%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq increased by 0.63%. Coming into today, shares of the world's biggest hamburger chain had lost 2.29% in the past month. In that same time, the Retail-Wholesale sector gained 5.29%, while the S&P 500 gained 6.29%. Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of McDonald's in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $3.13, signifying a 5.39% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $6.69 billion, indicating a 3.04% upward movement from the same quarter last year. For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $12.24 per share and a revenue of $26.35 billion, signifying shifts of +4.44% and +1.64%, respectively, from the last year. Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for McDonald's. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the company's business health and profitability. Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system. The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been a 0.25% rise in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Currently, McDonald's is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). With respect to valuation, McDonald's is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 24.91. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 23.73, so one might conclude that McDonald's is trading at a premium comparatively. Meanwhile, MCD's PEG ratio is currently 3.18. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. The Retail - Restaurants was holding an average PEG ratio of 2.57 at yesterday's closing price. The Retail - Restaurants industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 185, this industry ranks in the bottom 25% of all industries, numbering over 250. The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report McDonald's Corporation (MCD) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
