McDonald's: Car park demo against new Fife drive thru

'Duloch Against McDonalds' (DAM) is protesting against the fast food giant’s bid to open a new base on Turnstone Road, Dunfermline.

On Sunday it is staging a demo to highlight the parks spaces which will be lost to the development

McDonald’s plans were approved by Fife council last month.

But, the group claims the development will bring substantial traffic to the area and increased rubbish.

It is staging a protest at 11:00 am on Sunday to park in the 67 spaces that will be lost when the burger giant moves in, to highlight the traffic impact on the area.

Alan Gordon, spokesman of Plover Crescent, said: "We put in objections and I watched the council meeting where it was approved. It just seemed ridiculous.

The 12 areas of Fife with the lowest numbers of positive Covid-19...

"The chances of getting this stopped may be slim, but we want them to understand the impact this is going to have on the people who live here."

He continued: "The aim is to fill the spaces that the McDonald's restaurant is going to take up, and show the impact that traffic backing up will have.

Mr Gordon said the group was not opposed to the company - but the location.

He said local views have been completely negated, and they wanted to make their voice heard as loudly as possible.

He added: “The area will become even busier with traffic and another concern is that it will be right next to two schools- one of them is a special needs school and so this may affect kids with sensory issues with the increased smells, noise and traffic.

"There's also the issue of litter. Calais Wood is just on its doorstep and it's already had a number of issues with fast foods.

"Another issue is with anti-social behaviour. I just worry that having a kind of focal point that's open till midnight will encourage this."

The Facebook group was created last month by Mr Gordon.

SNP founder, prolific author and activist honoured with street name...

He said: "I watched the planning meeting online and I was so frustrated I just thought this can't go ahead.

"I'm actually quite surprised by how much it's grown. There does seem to be shock and anger that this was approved.”

Last month, the central and west planning committee approved plans for the drive-thru by 11 votes to three despite 176 objections.

Mr Gordon added: "A frustration is how little local residents' opinions have been taken into account. That's a wider planning issue, but this has been quite eye-opening.

"The local councillors opposed this, but others further afield, who don't know the area as well, waved it through on the back of evidence provided by McDonalds.

"There's very little taken into account about what local residents have concerns about."

Local councillor, Ian Ferguson, who opposed the plans, said: “It's busy enough as it is, you've also got 20-30 parking spaces that people won't use when it rains and they're flooded.

"It's a case of planning being done to people, rather than for them.”

Martin Willcocks from the Save Calais Woods Wildlife group said: "We're trying to get people to object to this planning application as it will have a detrimental effect on the woods and the surrounding area in terms of pollution, littering and anti-social behaviour.”

> Hannah Brown is the Local; Democracy Reporter for Fife & Angus

Thank you for reading this story on our website. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, we are asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspapers - the Fife Free Press, Fife Herald, St Andrews Citizen and East Fife Mail.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper. Thank you.