Not lovin it! Plans for Scole A140 McDonald's are dropped

Plans for a new McDonald’s near a small Norfolk village have fallen by the wayside after years in the pipeline.

The new restaurant was set to be built next to the roundabout junction of the A140 and A143 at Scole, near Diss, after being granted approval by Mid Suffolk Council three years ago.

It was expected to be constructed alongside the new BP petrol station and M&S Simply Food outlet at the site, but while these developments went ahead, the area earmarked for McDonald’s has remained empty.

Mid Suffolk Council gave the restaurant the green light in 2021 – but this permission has since expired and the fast food company has expressed no desire to proceed with the scheme.

A spokesman for McDonald’s said: “We are always on the lookout for suitable locations and are currently exploring a number of opportunities in the wider area.”

They declined to say whether any work had been carried out at the site or whether the company intended to resubmit its application to the council.

The original plans included parking for 50 cars and space for 100 customers across internal and external seating areas.

The development of the service station was met with mixed reception from locals in the nearby villages of Scole and Stuston, with the McDonald’s proving to be particularly divisive.

The local parish councils raised concerns over the location of the development, its size and road safety, as well as light pollution and the impact on the surrounding landscape.

The 3.6 acre site, in Old Bury Road, close to the edge of Diss Golf Club and a golf driving range, was previously a field.

McDonald’s has recently revealed its ambitions to open more than 200 restaurants across the UK and Ireland over the next four years – its largest expansion programme for more than two decades.