Trees force re-think on Lancaster McDonald's plan

New proposals have gone in after fears that drive-through lanes for a new restaurant on Caton Road would be built in a tree root protection area.

Permission was given for the original plan in January 2015 but now an amended scheme has been sent to Lancaster City Council planners.

They have recommended the revised plans for approval by city councillors when they meet at Morecambe Town Hall on June 27.

A council report says trees fronting Caton Road are “highly valuable” and of “visual benefit to one of the main access corridors into Lancaster”.

The original scheme included a new large embankment at the back of the site but this has been removed from the amended project and replaced with a wall at the foot of a current embankment.

The report said this “allowed the whole footprint of the development to be moved into the site by approximately 5m.

“This re-positioning will enable the land remediation and drive through lanes to be developed in a location outside the root protection area of the frontage trees safeguarding the green corridor along Caton Road.”

The site for the new McDonald’s is close to an access road to nearby Kidds Transport Ltd and 300m from the Lune Aqueduct.

Meanwhile McDonald’s have also put in newly-revised plans to change their current restaurant on Morecambe Road.

They have reapplied for planning permission for a single-storey extension and reconfiguration of the car park and the drive-through.

The plans have caused controversy.

Residents fed up with noise, litter and traffic fear the problem will get worse if the restaurant expands.

A spokesman for Lancaster City Council said the original plans were withdrawn and resubmitted with minor changes including different locations for litter bins.

A McDonald’s spokesman said: “We appreciate that there have been a small number of concerns raised about the new development and we are committed to working with the local community and council to address these.”