Sandwell Council's planning committee approved McDonald's plans to demolish the Cradley Kawasaki showroom and workshop in St Anne's Road, Cradley Heath, and build a new restaurant with a drive-thru. The decision was made on Wednesday, September 16, after being delayed from July to allow councillors to visit the site and investigate traffic and noise concerns.
The plans had drawn significant opposition: 54 formal objections were submitted, and petitions carrying 750 signatures were handed to the council. Residents and local campaigners warned the new drive-thru could cause "chaos" on nearby 'rat runs' around the congested Foxoak Street, and raised concerns about increased noise, litter, and anti-social behaviour.
Traffic and noise concerns dominate debate
During the committee meeting, Cllr Connor Horton expressed worry that St Anne's Road could become "carnage" if traffic backed up during peak times. The committee had previously deferred its vote in July to allow members to visit the location and assess the potential impact on local roads.
Cllr Tim Hordley proposed approving the application on the condition that the drive-thru be reduced to a single lane and repositioned as far as possible from nearby homes to minimise noise disruption. However, McDonald's representatives refused to alter the proposed layout, stating that the committee would need to provide "compelling" evidence to reject the entire scheme over what they described as a minor detail.
Approval conditions and opening hours
Ultimately, the committee approved the development by seven votes to two. The approval came with conditions requiring the installation of a yellow box junction at the drive-thru entrance and additional acoustic fencing to mitigate noise impacts.
The restaurant's proposed opening hours were also reduced from the original plan: instead of operating until midnight, the drive-thru will be open from 6am to 11pm. The development will include a 30-space car park and a dedicated waiting area for delivery drivers.
Jobs and economic arguments
McDonald's stated that the new drive-thru would create 70 full-time jobs. The company also argued that the site, which had been allocated for residential development in the council's adopted development plan, was no longer financially viable for housing. According to the planning application, the site had been actively marketed for residential use for more than 12 months but received no meaningful interest, and no progress had been made on building homes there since 2012.
The council's planning officers had recommended approval ahead of the meeting. In their report, they acknowledged that the proposals would conflict with the site's residential allocation policy but said: "The proposal overcomes all other material considerations, and its harm would be limited by its restricted opening hours. The economic investment and job creation outweighs the policy contraventions and the development is acceptable subject to suitably worded conditions."
The application was approved by seven votes to two, allowing McDonald's to proceed with the demolition of the existing showroom and the construction of the new restaurant and drive-thru.
