A nature group is up in arms at plans for a new McDonald’s restaurant and drive-thru at the A331/A31 Tongham services off the Hogs Back near Farnham. 

An application has been submitted to Guildford Borough Council for a site to the rear of the current Tongham services to be developed and landscaped.

The proposed 24/7 ‘golden arches’ drive-thru restaurant will have car parking for 39 cars and a play frame,  north of the A331/A31 Tongham roundabout.

But the Tice’s Meadow Nature Reserve Group are concerned by the potential littering, pollution and congestion in an already congested area.

The group is also outraged by the perceived lack of consideration for nature and the ecological impact by this international company on the bird sanctuary adjacent to the site which it fears may see bird populations suffer.

McDonald’s has sought to address the littering issue by proposing waste compressors on- site. It is also teaming up with LitterLotto App to develop schemes to incentivise customers to clear up not only McDonald’s litter – but all litter within 150 metres of the restaurant. 

The proposal goes into detail about anti-social behaviour management at the new site in co-operation with police and restaurant management. 

Light pollution is also being tackled as the planning application recognises that “lighting schemes should be provided with a suitable cut off at the boundaries to ensure no impact upon the adjacent ecological site”.

In total there will be 45 car parking spaces including three accessible bays and two electric vehicle charging bays.

McDonald’s says its proposal represents a multi-million-pound investment in the local area with the restaurant expected to employ more than 120 full- and part-time staff, which McDonald’s aim to recruit from the local area.

The A31 Tongham Services’ existing outlets currently include Starbucks, Asda, Greggs, Subway, and Leon.

The McDonald’s fast food chain trades from more than 1,450 restaurants across the UK and employs about 135,000 people. Around 90 per cent of the restaurants are operated as local businesses by franchisees. 

The restaurants were originally opened on high streets to establish the brand, and then followed by the introduction of drive-thru restaurants from 1986.

If approved, the new Tongham McDonald’s would be located just a mile-and-a-half from its existing drive-thru restaurant in Ash Road, Aldershot. View the plans here.