Fate of McDonald's plans for new Billingshurst restaurant revealed

Plans for a 100-seater restaurant at the business park, off Stane Street, was given a unanimous thumbs-down by Horsham District Council’s planning committee south in May.

The council received more than 300 objections to the plans. Traffic congestion and the fact the business park had been developed to offer employment floorspace for light industrial use were high on the list of concerns.

The plans were turned down because of the loss of employment floorspace, water neutrality issues, and the ‘adverse harm’ the restaurant would cause to ‘the setting and character of the edge of village location’.

Developers resubmitted the plans in June, but this application has now been withdrawn. This was confirmed in a letter to HDC with no reason given.

The applicant had argued the proposals would mean a ‘positive and high quality’ drive-through facility to the growing village, which it believed had taken into account highways impact and feature ‘legible’ access and parking arrangements for all types of customers.

However like the last application it received a number of objections from residents. One objector wrote: “The site is on the edge of what was a pretty village; whilst seeing the necessity of having a low cost supermarket and petrol station there is no urgent need for a takeaway when the village already is well served with such outlets.”

Another said: “The site won outline planning permission for a skilled/high wages business park that we were assured had existing local businesses waiting to relocate to, and that was to be screened from view with extensive planting and bunds, not a retail/destination establishment with neon-lit carbuncles advertising their wares from all directions.”

Chris Brown, a district councillor for Billingshurst, wrote on Facebook: “I have no personal or other preference whether we have a McDonald’s or not. (My children would certainly like one, and it would save trips to Buck Barn). I do however, think this is overall good news for Billingshurst.

"We have saved the employment space, which is intended for local small businesses and would benefit our local economy, we have potentially avoided a nightmare traffic scenario on the primary traffic route in and out of the village.”