Planning application to turn the old Loch Fyne restaurant into a McDonalds has been refused
We are pleased to report that the Elmbridge BC’s South Area Planning Committee refused the McDonald’s planning application this week (24 April 2025) to turn the old Loch Fyne restaurant into a McDonalds restaurant and takeaway.
As you may be aware we have been arguing long and hard that the planning officers’ report recommending approval was flawed. Planning legislation, regarding hot food takeaways and fast food outlets, was tightened significantly last December. The National Planning Policy Framework stated that applications for outlets which are outside of town centres and which are within walking distances from schools and places where young people congregate should be refused. We were able to argue strongly that the case officers’ “buffer zone” of 400 metres, which excluded all schools, is an unrealistic definition of “walking distance” particularly when school children under 8 are expected to walk up to two miles to school and over 8 years old up to three miles.
This is, of course, unlikely to be the end of the story as no doubt McDonalds will appeal this refusal. But the first battle has been won and we now have time to regroup and plan our evidence to the Government Inspector.
We would like to thank all our local councillors who took all these issues so seriously and particularly Cllr Laurence Wells who put his head well above the parapet. We were a real team working on this at this Trust and we would like to thank Adrian Wise for his dogged determination in digging into the absolute detail and seeking out the evidence that others had glossed over and John Kingston for his clear legal advice. Members should be proud of the depth and breadth that our team has in these planning matters. We would like to thank all of you who sent in letters of objection – these really made a difference.
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