McDonald's: Dismay as fast-food giant makes low key bid to open on one of Sheffield's most famous streets

Plans for a McDonald’s on Sheffield’s trendiest street have sparked dismay.

Botanical Area Community Association is among those objecting to the fast food giant opening on Ecclesall Road.

A planning application for a takeaway in the former Amaro Lounge has been submitted to Sheffield City Council. The name of the operator has been carefully redacted and removed from all documents apart from a graph on page 23 of a noise impact assessment which states ‘proposed McDonald’s Restaurant, Eccelshall (sic) Road’. The report concludes it wouldn’t be too noisy.

Ecclesall Road has long had a reputation for upmarket shopping but in recent years there have been more new cafes and restaurants. Some, like Amaro Lounge, have since closed. 

The premises faces Wadbrough Road, a residential street near the Botanical Gardens.

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The community association and two neighbours have objected over noise, traffic, litter and parking.

On David Walsh’s Linkedin page, David Wood said it was a “particularly disappointing use of that space.”

He added: “Hardly the type of offering you'd want on your premium desitination leisure street. More of this and it will end up like London Road.”

There were also objections on a local Facebook forum. 

But Rufus Meakin, who spotted the McDonald’s name in the planning documents, said: “Even as a non-meat eater, personally I’m for it, just as I was 20+ years ago when they were blocked from opening in Berkeley Precinct. In the mid-1980s I used to stand outside the old McDonald’s at the top of The Moor handing out McLibel leaflets. But times moves on.”

But one said: ‘If it’s good enough KFC, Domino’s and Nando’s then McD’s has every right.’

The application, submitted by Hamid Reza Akhavan-Hezaveh of Dore Road, Dore, through his company Riverflat Ltd, states the takeaway would have a small seating area for ‘10 covers’. It is seeking permission to open seven days a week until 11.30pm and 11pm on Sunday.

McDonald’s said: “We are excited to have submitted a planning application to open a new restaurant in Sheffield next year, bringing significant investment and up to 120 full and part-time jobs to the local area.”