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Environmental health officials at North Norfolk District Council look into noise, waste and safety concerns over plans for McDonald’s in Fakenham




Environmental health officials at a district council have raised concerns over a fast food chain’s plans to open a branch in a market town.

Proposals to bring a McDonald’s drive-through to a site off Holt Road in Fakenham have been a controversial topic since they were announced back in late 2023.

With worries about noise, waste and safety dominating the conversation, the news has had a mixed reaction from residents and officials.

The proposed site is on Holt Road in Fakenham. Picture: Google Maps
The proposed site is on Holt Road in Fakenham. Picture: Google Maps

In a planning consultation from environmental health officers at North Norfolk District Council, published last Thursday, a number of these issues, as well as potential solutions to them, were highlighted.

Objections were made regarding the site’s opening hours and how it would impact the noise levels in the area.

The report said that, if the restaurant were to be open 24 hours, there would be “increased noise in the nearby residential areas from increased activity such as traffic and people visiting the area at night, using their own transport, on foot and their presence in the vicinity of residential dwellings”.

It was then noted that if there were controls on opening hours in place, “adverse impact from noise” including the sound of reversing lorries, the drive-through and car park activity would be “unlikely”.

The need for delivery vehicles and customers to share the same access and parking points was another issue raised regarding the current proposal.

A spokesperson for North Norfolk District Council’s Health and Safety team, which was reviewing the proposal, said: “There is no detailed risk assessment or plan as to how deliveries will be managed from a safety point of view.

“Please raise this as a matter of concern, I do not like to see large delivery trucks, passenger cars and pedestrians in close proximity.”

It has been suggested that to make it work, deliveries would have to be made at times when the restaurant is closed for business to ensure there is no mix of commercial vehicles, private cars and pedestrians.

The report also addressed a major worry that many living in the area have - litter.

It was confirmed that a request had been made for the planning agent and environmental services team to discuss a litter management plan.

This will allow them to assess the potential impact of increased litter in the area and how it can be avoided.



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