14 hours ago
Fuming families battle against new McDonald's drive-thru plan 'targeting children'
Outraged parents and councillors are fighting plans for a 24/7 McDonald's drive-thru in Hove.
A Hove Against McDonald's protest group is battling against the proposed site in Old Shoreham Road, Hove.
Michelle Vogel, who lives just behind the proposed site, has been leading the campaign against the plans, saying that the fast-food company is 'targeting our children'.
She told The Argus: 'The main reason we are all opposed is the proximity to all of our schools and all of our young people. The city already has a massive obesity problem.
'You've got Hove Park, Blatchington Mill, Goldstone and West Hove all less than 800 metres away.
'Holmes Avenue here is where there's a school run, so they all come up there. McDonald's know exactly what they're doing and who they're targeting.
'It's going to bring all of the school children down here to the main road, and they're all going to be littering and loitering here.'
Residential houses can be seen in the back of the proposed site (Image: Ramy Abou-Setta / The Argus)The fast-food giant applied for a freestanding 24/7 drive-thru restaurant, a car park and the demolition of the existing buildings.
The site was originally a Suzuki car dealership in 2004, which was then replaced by Kent Auto Panels (KAP).
In a Brighton and Hove City Council Public Health response to the proposed development of the drive-thru, which recommended to reject the plans, it was revealed that the city has the highest number of fast-food outlets per head in the entire South East at 149 per 100,000 population.
The report also highlighted that the proposed site is adjacent to the 'most deprived areas' within the city, with people in those areas having 'higher levels of obesity statistically'.
It also stated that the proposed McDonald's would be within 800m of four large schools in the area, mentioned by Michelle, with other schools just outside the zone who could be 'influenced' to purchase from the establishment.
Residents have also shared concerns about the increased traffic and the impact this will have on parking and the local area.
A Hove Against McDonald's protest is set to take place on June 17 at 5.30pm outside the proposed site in Old Shoreham Road, Hove.
Michelle added: 'It's not just the traffic of people coming into the drive-thru, it's going to be the Uber drivers. You can see how close people's houses are, the kind of noise and light pollution it will cause is just ridiculous.
'The idling cars going round the side and the smell as well, the potential for rats and vermin.
'It's just all a recipe for disaster; the lights alone are going to make our bedrooms light up like Oxford Street at Christmas.
'This is a quiet area, we never have too much trouble and too much noise – So having deliveries and mopeds all through the night, it's going to be really disruptive.'
(Image: CB) The closest McDonald's drive-thrus for people in Brighton and Hove are currently the stores in Eastern Avenue, Shoreham, or Brighton Marina.
Residents have also raised concerns that the McDonald's would be considerably close to the drive-thru Burger King in the Goldstone Retail Park which is also applying for a '24 hour' licence.
Brighton and Hove City Councillors have added their voices in opposition to the proposed plans, with Cllr Jacob Allen, the now cabinet member for customer services and public realm, saying that the approval of the plans 'only serve to benefit a multinational corporation at the expense of the health and dietary wellbeing of children'.
Left: Cllr John Hewitt shares concerns for the impact of littering on the Hove cemetery (Image: Ramy Abou-Setta / The Argus) Cllr John Hewitt, representing Hangleton and Knoll, shared his ward's frustrations and concerns with the plans.
He told The Argus: 'This area is a real traffic hotspot getting in and out on to the Old Shoreham Road.
'One of my real concerns is it being a 24-7 operation. No other business on this estate operates like that. It will have a real detrimental effect to the residents who literally back onto the rear of the site.'
When McDonald's was approached for comment, a spokeswoman said: 'We are excited about the opportunity to open a new restaurant in Hove, bringing significant investment and 120 new jobs to the local area.
'At McDonald's we strive to be a good neighbour in the communities in which we operate and we look forward to continuing to work with the local community and stakeholders to address any concerns they may have.'
