Honiton could get its first McDonald’s if newly submitted plans to transform an outgoing vehicle dealership into a 24-hour drive-thru are given the thumbs-up.
The fast-food chain has revealed what it said would be a “multi-million pound investment” in the town with the creation of more than 120 full- and part-time staff.
The company wants to demolish the Vauxhall Eden site, which dealt with commercial vehicles, and turn the plot into a drive-thru restaurant, and said it had discussed its plans in two pre-application meetings with East Devon District Council.
Official documents state Vauxhall Eden, which is on Heathpark Industrial Estate, wants to close the showroom, with its staff being redeployed elsewhere.
An innovation includes a proposed ‘fast forward lane’, which it claims would help with traffic flow at the site.
“The application includes the introduction of a fast forward lane, which will allow for a customer to pull forward to a third booth, if there is a small delay in the order, rather than driving through to the Grill Bays,” the company said.
“This allows the traffic flow to be maintained through the drive-thru lane and is an operational improvement, in line with safety and speed of service.”
The application appears to suggest it will be a 24-hour site, seven days a week.
Documents show there is an historic approval of an as yet unbuilt access road to the rear of the site, and McDonald’s has said this or a similar access would need to completed to make the site viable for its aspirations.
Creating such an access, it argues, would also help boost future employment opportunities.
The proposal outlines indoor and outdoor seating, and potentially play equipment for young children.
“The restaurant will provide a supporting role in the wider employment allocation, not only enabling wider development through the new access road, but also providing a walkable restaurant, providing easy access to food and hot/cold drinks for the local workforce,” the company stated in planning documents.
“It is widely recognised that restaurants and coffee shops provide a flexible and varied opportunity for local workforces to source meals, food and refreshments throughout the day, providing for both traditional working hours, but also for night shift workers, such as the emergency services next door.
“These meet a demand when other operators are closed. In addition, such facilities allow for businesses to meet clients and customers away from their office, if they do not have space to accommodate a meeting or have the ability to offer suitable refreshments.”
A part of the proposal also includes demolishing the existing building so that McDonald’s can develop the site as it needs. This includes a 59-seat restaurant and 30 car parking spaces, as well as two accessible bays and three EV bays.
Outside will be more seating and a play area for “younger customers to climb and explore”.
McDonald’s claimed its latest figures showed the chain had contributed £1.4 million to the East Devon economy, with more than four-fifths of that linked to meals sold in its restaurants, and the remainder (17 per cent) the value of expenditure with suppliers and the effect of it employing local people.
A spokesperson for McDonald’s said: “We are excited about the opportunity to open a restaurant in Honiton.
“The restaurant will bring significant investment to the local area and deliver up to 120 full and part-time jobs.”
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