Does a town the size of Swindon need 7 (seven) McDonald's?

[Empathy Sloth]

That's around £2.50 a day (£5 for the two of them) if we're taking a month to be on average 30 days. He runs a shoe shop but it's fair to say he gets hardly any trade, it's just something for him to do.

[4D]

This isn't in the UK though CF, is it? If not, what is cost of living like?

[Empathy Sloth]

When they've paid all their bills they're left with hardly anything, if my parents didn't help out financially I dread to think what the situation would be like.

[4D]

Is he a cobbler?

[Bob's Orange]

Personally, I won't be happy until we get a Wagamama.

Went for one on Friday. Not bad food of you don't mind the dormitory esque seating.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

And they wonder why there are so many 'fatties' in the town....

Yes it brings jobs, but also brings rubbish. The amount of rubbish in North Swindon from Mac D's is awful.

I love it when people make this argument against fast food 'restaurants'. It's the low life customers dropping the rubbish who are to blame (and dropping litter is utterly low life behaviour in my opinion, I hate it). You can't blame McDonalds for it.

[Paolo69]

I love it when people make this argument against fast food 'restaurants'. It's the low life customers dropping the rubbish who are to blame (and dropping litter is utterly low life behaviour in my opinion, I hate it). You can't blame McDonalds for it.

On that basis you can't blame a pub if it's customers are loud, abusive and obnoxious at kicking out time. Plenty of pubs do get blamed for this though, and in extreme circumstances threatened with closure/reduced hours.

Basically I think they do need to take some responsibility for the behaviour of their customers although as you rightly say it's the low life customers who do it who should shoulder most of the blame.

[Cookie]

Would the litter be there if the restaurant wasn't because if the answer is no then it's pretty obvious that the litter problem has arisen as a result of the restaurant, right? And if so then they should do something about that. How about paying for a street sweeper out of the vast corporate profits, it's not exactly asking too much especially when there's enough custom to open 7 fucking restaurants in one town. 

Burger King is nicer too.

[Sippo]

I love it when people make this argument against fast food 'restaurants'. It's the low life customers dropping the rubbish who are to blame (and dropping litter is utterly low life behaviour in my opinion, I hate it). You can't blame McDonalds for it.

Not blaming McDonalds. It's the customers. Like I don't blame McDonalds for making people fat.

It's down to the individual. I just don't think we 'need' another one.

[JanTheMan]

Could do with a Nandos....

Are they still planning on having one in Swindon?

The thing is, the Council don’t approve a chain restaurant whether it be MCD’s/BK/Nando's etc, instead they approve a use class.  In this case it will be A5 (takeaway), possibly A3 (restaurant).   So whilst the applicant may be proposing a what is viewed as a ‘bad food’ restaurant, the premises could also be used without formal permission as an artisan coffee house serving takeaway macaroons.  This is where supply and demand comes into the equation and why Oxford only has three MCDs and Swindon has seven.  As someone else pointed out, Swindon has a substantially higher proportion of MCD eaters, whereas Oxford has a substantially higher number of people willing to drink overpriced coffee and macaroons

[JanTheMan]

I love it when people make this argument against fast food 'restaurants'. It's the low life customers dropping the rubbish who are to blame (and dropping litter is utterly low life behaviour in my opinion, I hate it). You can't blame McDonalds for it.

Completely agree with the above.  Nothing worse than watching some 6ft 4inch pikey blatantly drop litter as if he’s proud it.......And you can’t do a thing unless you actively want a kicking.  But this is not the fault of MCDs.

Following my last post, people who eat in MCDs are more likely to drop litter when compared with people who prefer expensive coffee.  Hence Oxford is a cleaner place than Swindon.  I appreciate this is a complete generalisation, but there’s a good reason we stereotype.

[horlock07]

The thing is, the Council don’t approve a chain restaurant whether it be MCD’s/BK/Nando's etc, instead they approve a use class.  In this case it will be A5 (takeaway), possibly A3 (restaurant).   So whilst the applicant may be proposing a what is viewed as a ‘bad food’ restaurant, the premises could also be used without formal permission as an artisan coffee house serving takeaway macaroons.  This is where supply and demand comes into the equation and why Oxford only has three MCDs and Swindon has seven.  As someone else pointed out, Swindon has a substantially higher proportion of MCD eaters, whereas Oxford has a substantially higher number of people willing to drink overpriced coffee and macaroons

Christ you are not a planner as well

[JanTheMan]

Afraid so.  I used to work for an LPA in Surrey and it was amazing how many letters of objection would be submitted from the affluent white middle class majority.  All complaining about the proposed Indian restaurant (racism is alive and well in leafy surrey, that much I did learn).  But as mentioned earlier, planning permission has very little to do with type of food being cooked.  Funnily enough, the same surrey folk weren’t too bothered when a coffee house was proposed. 

[horlock07]

Afraid so.  I used to work for an LPA in Surrey and it was amazing how many letters of objection would be submitted from the affluent white middle class majority.  All complaining about the proposed Indian restaurant (racism is alive and well in leafy surrey, that much I did learn).  But as mentioned earlier, planning permission has very little to do with type of food being cooked.  Funnily enough, the same surrey folk weren’t too bothered when a coffee house was proposed. 

Tell me about it, we do a lot of work for one of the big 4 supermarket chains and I would suggest that we would get much fewer objections if we worked for Waitrose!

[JanTheMan]

Tell me about it, we do a lot of work for one of the big 4 supermarket chains and I would suggest that we would get much fewer objections if we worked for Waitrose!

Yeah, I read a BBC article earlier in the week about the presence of Waitrose having a direct link to increased house prices.  As you say, if Mr Tesco wants a new store in say Marlborough, there will be 100’s of objections, propose a Waitrose and the locals/blue politicians will be right behind it (I appreciate Marlborough has both).