A McDonald’s restaurant at Sedgemoor Services on the M5 near Burnham-On-Sea will soon be extended with a new drive-thru lane in the car park.
Roadchef, which operates Sedgemoor Services on the southbound side, submitted a planning application for the “construction of an extension to the existing restaurant and roadway, with alterations to the parking area to provide a drive-thru facility.”
Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here that Roadchef had applied in January 2023 to extend the existing restaurant to the north and construct a drive-thru lane, removing 23 car parking spaces in the process, as shown below.
Somerset Council has now given the proposals the green light, with construction expected to begin later in 2024.
The new drive-thru will have two lanes with a picnic area being created next to the main car park, providing an outdoor eating area for customers during the summer months or for when the extended restaurant area is full.
The development is not expected to create any additional jobs, and there will be no change to the current operating hours of the restaurant.
A spokesman for PPL Northampton Ltd, representing the applicant, says: “The increased use of drive-thru facilities by the travelling public, following not only personal choice but also the pandemic, has resulted in operators wanting to provide these additional facilities for customers.”
“The site currently benefits from a Costa Coffee drive-thru and its success has demonstrated the preferred choice for a certain clientèle. This proposal provides the travelling public with another option for taking a break on their journey.”
“The current arrangement of the amenity building, with the restaurant kitchen located on the existing external wall of the amenity building, allows for a solution to be provided for the facility in the construction of the drive-thru lane to an area of hard-standing with minimal building extensions to afford the pay and collect windows.”
The development was approved through the delegated powers of the council’s planning officers, rather than a public decision by its planning committee north which handles major applications in the former Sedgemoor area noted the local democracy reporting service.
