Plans for a 24-hour McDonald’s drive-thru and petrol station next to the M90 in Fife have been rejected.
Councillors ruled the development near Kelty would result in pedestrians trying to cross motorway slip roads.
And they feared the vehicular access into the site would be unsafe.
Members of Fife Council‘s west and central planning committee also agreed the application was unacceptable in a countryside setting.
And they said drivers could easily use other motorway service stations just a few miles away.
Applicants Ian Maclellan and TG Convenience Stores Ltd wanted to create a 10-pump filling station, retail kiosk and electric vehicle charging points 100 metres from junction four.
The development on the former Kathellan cafe and farm shop site would also have included a single-storey fast food restaurant with 100 seats.
‘No need for another service station’
The applicants said it would bring the site back into active use and create jobs.
However, planning officer Jamie Penman cited UK Government Department for Transport guidance as the committee discussed the application.
He said: “It suggests there shouldn’t be a distance of less than 28 miles between service stations.
“The distance between Ratho and Kinross is 22.5 miles.
“There doesn’t seem to be a need for an additional service station in this location.”
And SNP councillor John Beare added: “I really don’t see the justification for clogging up the countryside in the interests of choice every five miles or so.”
Plan had ‘no safe pedestrian crossing’
A previous application for a 50-bedroom hotel on the site was approved in 2009.
And councillors questioned how that could be acceptable but the McDonald’s application was not.
Mr Penman said: “The application in 2009 was never taken forward and has now lapsed.
“It was approved under a different local plan. Policies were different at that time.”
The Kathellan site has lain empty since 2018 when difficult trading conditions saw cafe operator Baxters move out.
But Mr Penman added: “The development would represent an unjustified and unplanned development in the countryside and would therefore have a considerable detrimental negative impact.
“There is no safe pedestrian crossing infrastructure over the M90 slip roads.
“There is no high school in Kelty but school-age children and pedestrians would be attracted to the proposed drive-thru.”
Conversation