Residents of a Dunfermline estate staged a protest against plans for a new McDonald’s drive-thru restaurant on part of their local supermarket’s car park on Sunday.
The demonstration was organised by the group Duloch Against McDonald’s to highlight the traffic problems they believe the new development will create.
Campaigners parked in the 67 spaces next to the Tesco Extra store that will be lost when the fast-food giant moves in.
The protest was co-ordinated by local man Alan Gordon, whose Facebook group has more than 500 members. A petition against the plans also garnered hundreds of signatures.
Mr Gordon said: “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 that live here.
“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.
“It will also raise awareness among residents who don’t know about the plans and give Tesco food for thought about how it will affect their business.”
Fofr Council’s central and west planning committee approved plans for a two-storey McDonald’s drive-thru restaurant to be built on the car park off Turnstone Road last month.
There were 176 objections but councillors voted 11-3 in favour.
McDonald’s said the new outlet, which will be in the northern section of the Tesco car park, across the road from the Aldi store, will create 65 jobs.
Mr Gordon, a business analyst with financial tech firm FNZ, said: “I don’t think anyone is anti-McDonald’s as such, it’s the location that’s wrong. And there are already two McDonald’s within a mile.
“The car park is pretty full at the best of times, especially at weekends, and this will cause queues and traffic to build up.
“My kid goes to Duloch Primary School and it’ll be more problematic to cross the roads.
“One of my big concerns is anti-social behaviour. That’s not necessarily down to McDonald’s but it’s already an issue and this will give people a focal point.”
Dunfermline North councillor Ian Ferguson said: “I was horrified by the proposal but got outvoted. The local councillors, the ones that live here and understand the issues, voted against.
“My view is there will be gridlock when they build this. I think it’s busy enough as it is, you’ve also got the 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.
“I’d love them to win and I’ve encouraged the local residents to keep going.”
