McDonald’s battles to sway Rotherham committee

The fast food giant hopes to overcome a recommendation for refusal based on the Dinnington site’s allocation for employment use, with this week’s planning board meeting also set to rule on 300 homes in Wath-upon-Dearne.

The intended McDonald’s site is within an existing commercial area on former colliery land, at the junction of Campbell Way and Nobel Way, and was well received at consultation in 2023, with close to 200 supportive comments logged.

If approved, the project could support up to 100 new jobs with opportunities for progression, as well as generating around £60,000 per year through business rates, the firm said.

Planner Lichfields leads a professional team that also includes AMA and Glanville.

Annie Newman, senior acquisitions surveyor at McDonald’s said: “We are pleased with the positive response we have had from the community regarding our proposals for Dinnington. It is clear from the feedback we have received that a McDonald’s restaurant in this area would be welcomed by the local community.

“We have wanted to expand our offering of amazing value and high-quality food in Dinnington for some time and we are disappointed that our plans to regenerate this vacant, well-situated site have now been recommended for refusal by the Council.

“We appreciate that the Council’s policy allocates this land for employment use, but the number of jobs that our proposals will create is far more than many developments that would be defined as employment use. Combined with the other benefits that a new restaurant would deliver for the area we hope that the Planning Committee will consider it justifiable to approve our plans.”

Officers appear to have some sympathy here, it is noted that Rotherham is by no means short of allocated employment land, and that the site’s remediation challenges make viability a concern for others.

As is noted in the officer report, the site “has been marketed as an industrial/distribution development opportunity since 2015 but has failed to attract any significant interest. This is despite a comprehensive, multi-channel, marketing strategy being in place.”

However, on balance officers concluded that there is not enough justification for the loss of employment land, and that “proposed development would also reduce the potential for future development of the remaining employment land to the north of the site, with no significant benefit”.

Heading to the planning board with more cause for optimism is Barratt, advised by planner Sheppard.

Working with Parker Peel, Barratt wants to deliver 269 homes in Wath-upon-Dearne, and approval is recommended, on condition of 25% affordable housing provision and contributions led by more than £500,000 towards education.

Rotherham’s planning board meets on 18 July. The McDonald’s application can be viewed at RB2023/1517 and the Barratt project RB2021/1686 on the local authority’s planning portal.