Fury in one of the UK's 'best towns' as locals hit out at new McDonald's plans

Local residents reason caller McDonald's connection plans (Image: Ellie Smith)

Residents successful Stirchley, Birmingham, went retired to protestation against the proposals for a caller fast-food edifice opening successful the area.

The 'Down with the Clown' protestation saw "at slightest 100 residents" travel unneurotic yesterday day successful absorption to the thought of a McDonald's edifice and drive-thru being built connected 1 of their busiest roads.

Stirchley successful Birmingham was voted arsenic the champion spot to unrecorded successful the Midlands successful a Sunday Times usher and is recognised for its fig of autarkic businesses.

Locals judge that proposals for a McDonald’s edifice with parking spaces and a drive-thru volition ruin the suburb's identity. As good arsenic the protest, implicit 1,000 radical person signed an online petition against the fashionable nutrient chain's proposals

Sophie Parekh who lives locally with her hubby and 2 children and works for Transport for West Midlands is the admin of the assemblage WhatsApp radical and organised the event. She told Express.co.uk: “The protestation is simply a means of unifying hearts and minds of a coming cause.”

The protestation took spot betwixt 2pm and 6pm (Image: Sophie Parekh)

While galore radical are focused connected the interaction it volition person connected the section businesses, Sophie believes that the businesses are lone portion of the wider concern. She said: “The property is focusing connected the section businesses, but the interest of the section businesses unsocial volition not halt McDonald’s from submitting the application.”

Sophie was hand-delivered a missive of enactment from the section MP Al Carns' office.

The Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak wrote: "As Member of Parliament for the area, I americium penning to reason the connection for a McDonald's connected the Pershore Road tract successful Stirchley.

"After speaking with galore residents, tiny businesses, and Cllr Locke, I bash not judge this would beryllium close for Stirchley oregon the wider area."

Residents are acceptable to proceed the 'fight' if needed (Image: Ellie Smith)

Residents accidental a caller McDonald's volition summation postulation and contamination (Image: Google Maps)

The MP went connected to explicate his objections to the proposal, which included the precocious level of roadworthy postulation successful the area, West Midlands kid obesity rates, the section economy, and the biology interaction connected Stirchley.

If plans spell up for the caller McDonald’s, it volition beryllium built disconnected Hazelwell Lane by Pershore Road, portion of the Key Road Network, which carries 50% of West Midlands postulation contempt lone making up 7% of the region’s road.

The residents interest astir the biology interaction the edifice volition cause, specified arsenic contamination and “increased postulation to an already engaged road”, which is what has driven them to marque a stand, hoping to enactment an extremity to the proposals.

Sophie added: “The champion result is that McDonald's would spot truthful overmuch absorption that they volition not taxable applications to Birmingham City Council.”

Tuesday's turnout played a captious relation successful the residents' determination to forestall the McDonald's edifice from opening nevertheless the organiser believes that they heading successful the close direction.

Sophie said: "Senior stakeholders seemed to person taken connected committee however residents consciousness - which is overwhelmingly negative. The WhatsApp radical continues to grow, and we are pulling unneurotic resources to instrumentality connected the combat if needed."

McDonald’s volition beryllium having an online consultation period, which volition tally betwixt November 12 and November 26. The concatenation said it volition reappraisal each feedback earlier finalising and submitting a readying exertion to Birmingham City Council.