Plans have been knocked back as the proposed restaurant was too close to local schools
An image submitted to Sheffield City Council showing the proposed layout of the McDonald’s drive-through restaurant in LowfieldAuthor: Julia Armstrong, Local Democracy Reporting ServicePublished 26 minutes ago
Fast food giant McDonald’s has lost its bid for planning permission to build a new drive-through restaurant in Sheffield.
Members of Sheffield City Council’s planning and highways committee today (January 13) unanimously voted to turn down the plan for a drive-through restaurant and parking on land at the corner of Broadfield Road and London Road, Lowfield.
They followed the advice of planning officers to refuse permission because the site is “within walking distance of schools and other locations where young people congregate, does not promote healthy eating and would exacerbate existing high levels of deprivation and obesity within the area”.
Additionally, the refusal states that “design, form and scale results in a building that displays an absence of visual interest and distinctiveness in its architecture which results in a utilitarian appearance”.
The decision added that the layout “turns its back” on houses on Chippinghouse Road, which also adjoins the site.
Planning officer Chris Heeley said: “There has been significant interest in the application, with 50 letters of support and 200 objecting.”
Protests have also taken place next to the site. Objectors include Sheffield Central MP Abtisam Mohamed and Coun Alexi Dimond.
Coun Nighat Basharat, who represents Nether Edge and Sharrow ward, spoke at the meeting to “firmly oppose” the application. She said she was also representing local parents, residents and businesses she had spoken to.
Coun Basharat said that many local parents are worried about the message given by the presence of a fast food outlet in their community, near schools and places of worship.
“Many parents have told me they are they are concerned about the impact this would have on their children’s health.”
She added: “This is making unhealthy food even more accessible and normalised for our children.”
Coun Basharat also voiced concerns about traffic air pollution and safety for children travelling to Lowfield School.
She said that local people felt they had not been consulted about the proposals, especially given language and digital barriers that many face.
The council’s public health team said that the proposal lies within 10 minutes’ walking distance of three schools and 11 other places where young people congregate, such as community centres and playgrounds.
Mr Heeley said public health data shows that by Year 6, 40% of children living locally are overwight or obese. This is higher than the overall Sheffield figure of 38%.
He added: “McDonald’s offer low-cost food that they public health consider to be unhealthy and with low nutritional value and with large portion incentives.”
Mr Heeley said that council air quality experts considered that the proposal would not add to current levels of pollution.
He said that planning officers recognised that the flood risk for the site probably rules out the possibility of a scheme including buildings at the frontage of the site, which would be preferable in design terms.
“We feel that a better scheme could be produced and this one falls down for the reasons that we said.” He said the main building has been “shoved to the back” of the site and a better option could be found within the restrictions created by the flooding risk.
Annie Newman, senior acquisitions surveyor for McDonald’s in the Yorkshire region, said the site sits partly in a local shopping area, which makes the drive-through a reasonable use.
She said that McDonald’s is committed to giving its customers a range of healthy options and to help them better understand the choices they could make. More than 200 ingredients have been changed and healthy options have been introduced to menus.
Ms Newman said the “attractive modern building” would be built with red bricks to reflect surrounding buildings. She added: “The appropriate design and comprehensive landscaping would significantly enhance the appearance of the area.”
Issues around noise, odour and lighting have been dealt with and the drive-through would close at 11pm.
The business would be run by a local franchisee who would build community relationships and support local sports teams. The proposal would bring a real economic benefit to Lowfield, providing 95 jobs, equivalent to 70 full-time roles, that would be “highly accessible” to a wide range of people.
Peter Swallow, MD of the Bolsterstone Group property company, said the site was cleared of “dilapidated buildings” in 2008 and had been extensively marketed as a site located on a gateway to the city centre.
However, property developers had been put off by the flood risk. A multi-million-pound investment to the junction had improved traffic flows.
He said his company had rid the site of its derelict appearance and it now needs to be brought back into economic use.
Coun Marieanne Elliot said: “It is really positive to see that public health is being taken seriously here and given due weight, given the long-term negative impacts.
“There is evidence that young people have been speaking out about this too and they’re not particularly impressed with these fast food giants targeting them.
“For example Bite Back, a youth organisation, say that ‘Fast food giants are targeting our environments. They know where schools are located and place their ads ad outlets en route. This needs to end’.
“This is something we wouldn’t want to be endorsing.”
She added: “Lowfield School is the city’s worst for air pollution. It seems obvious that we shouldn’t be making this situation worse.”