Leeds residents are “anxious and angry” with McDonald’s over plans to open a takeaway in their neighbourhood.
The fast food giant has drawn up blueprints for a McDonald’s on Otley Road, Headingley. This is where the city’s famous Otley Run pub crawl takes places every weekend, popular among students, stags and hen dos.
Punters dress up in costumes and aim to drink at bars across Headingley and Hyde Park, taking in about 15 pubs. Worried residents have said Headingley is becoming more of a “family-friendly” area and this would blow that to smithereens.
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There’s concerns it would increase littering, resulting in rats swarming the area, anti-social behaviour and public “urination” in the surrounding residential streets. McDonald’s has announced plans to employ litter pickers who’ll sweep the area and insist tackling anti-social behaviour is a “key part” of their plans.
Retired married couple Simon and Liz Wood, 61 and 68 respectively are dead set against McDonald’s plans, which include a “take-out” only service and would create about 80 jobs, 30 full-time.
Simon, a former printing business owner, said: “We’d rather it not happen. It’s just something that we don’t need in the area. The noise, the nuisance, the parking and the ‘blah blah blah’."
Gesturing at the double yellow lines, he said: "Where could people park to get a burger here? It’s busy enough around here already ready, there’ll be extra foot traffic and parking.
“There’s a lot of drunk youths around here anyway and it’s probably going to bring more volume in. I’d imagine it would make it [the Otley Run] worse - busier, a lot more litter.
Liz, a former tax and trust advisor, added: “There’s plenty of burger joints around here, we don’t need another one!”
'Rats'
Social worker Sarah Johal, 56, has lived in Headingley for 30 years, and she thinks a Maccie D’s on the corner would be “terrible”. The mother-of-two has concerns about vermin, access for nearby care and nursing homes and the perils of walking her dog, a cockapoo named Inca, through the litter.
Sarah said: “It would be terrible. I’m really concerned about McDonald’s being here. We have quite a lot of people who do the Otley Run and therefore what happens is that people come along here, chuck their food and then we have problems with rats. We have a lot of congestion on this side of the road. Another takeaway would just cause additional problems.
“It’s takeaway only so that means people are going to be eating on the street and dropping all their litter. There’s also a care home here and a nursing home, so in terms of access, we have ambulances coming up and down here regularly.
“There’s a lot of drunken behaviour. I bring my dog down here and there’s a lot of broken glass, empty food packets, it’s so stressful walking down and around this area. I think it would likely increase all of that.”
Sarah spoke of how she believes Headingley is becoming more of a “family environment”, claiming more students are living in the city-centre these days.
The 56-year-old said: “I’d be very disappointed if Leeds City Council gave McDonald’s permission. We’re trying to make Headingley more of a family environment. This is very much about young people, drinking culture and takeaways. It’s not what we want for Headingley.”
'Anxious and angry'
Graphic designer Olivia, 40, who didn't want her last name published and is raising two children, two and five, is “very anxious and angry” about the prospect of “inebriated” crowds sitting on the walls along her road.
The Luton woman moved there with her family in 2020, during the pandemic, and has described her road as “family friendly”.
Olivia said: “I’m very much against it. With the Otley Run, it’s become like a stag do central on the weekends. McDonald’s are looking to cash in on that. So we’d have delivery drivers stuck here all the time, they’ll be here all the time.
“It’s going to be a takeaway only service, so there would be nowhere to sit so they’re going to sit on the walls along my road. There’s no picnicking facilities, so there will be anti-social behaviour and littering and urination, the lot. As a family with young children, it’s not something we want congregating in the middle of our road.
“There are too many fast food shops in the area. I want my children growing up in a safe area and this is becoming more of a family friendly area. We moved in during the pandemic and I don’t think anyone thought the Otley Run would come back with such a vengeance, there’s literally swarms of people in their 30s and dressed as bananas and all sorts. They’re already fairly inebriated when they’ve come to this point and it’s going to hold them here.
“I’m very anxious about it and I feel angry about it, to be honest, as I’m concerned that if it goes through, it really will continue with the dynamics of the area and it will negatively impact us considerably.”
McDonald’s application states: “Tackling anti-social behaviour is a key part of delivering the best possible experience for McDonald’s customers and providing a great place to work.
“McDonald’s is committed to tackling the problem of litter – indeed, it is company policy to conduct a minimum of three daily litter patrols, whereby employees pick up not only McDonald’s packaging, but also any other litter that may have been discarded in a 150m vicinity of a McDonald’s site.”
In July, Leeds City Council revealed it was starting a “targeted” crackdown on Otley Run revellers who were upsetting the local community.”
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