PLANS for a fast food restaurant which will create 50 jobs in Newtown have been supported by local councillors.

Newtown Town Councillors supported plans for a new KFC chicken drive-thru restaurant on Pool Road, when they met on Monday night.

Planning committee chairman Sue Newham said that the store was due to be open daily from 7am to 11pm and that the application stated that entrances onto Kerry Road and Pool Road would not be a problem.

Cllr Newham said that 50 people would be employed as part of the development with some part-time and others full-time staff, also car-parking would be provided for between 33 and 38 parking spaces with six places for bicycle parking.

She said: “There will be a long access road with the drive-thru which will allow vehicles to enter without blocking Pool Road.

“We can ask for a condition to be placed on the restaurant that staff pick up litter as McDonalds staff currently do. 

“We could also add a condition that they contribute £10,000 towards ‘Big Belly’ bins on Gravel Car Park as we were thinking about having four bins which has been reduced to two due to the costs.”

Cllr Susan Hill said that the lighting used would be spotlights which would be much better for local residents.

Mayor Rina Clark supported the development and said that the proposed building was smaller than it is now.

She said: “We are not here to nanny the people of Newtown telling them they shouldn’t be eating junk food.

“It’s a national business and it will give people a reason to come off the bypass into Newtown as some people would come here just for it.”

Cllr Richard White labelled the site an “eyesore” in its current state and said that it would bring business into the town.

He did express concerns that cars should not be allowed to turn right out of the car park towards the traffic lights as this would cause problems.

Cllr Newham suggested that it would be better if cars heading to Welshpool were directed out of the back of the site onto Kerry Road

The application includes the building of a new restaurant and takeaway, together with parking spaces, access arrangements, floodlighting, CCTV and other associated works.

Councillors agreed to support the application with the conditions that litter picking is carried out, there is a contribution to ‘Belly Bins’ and that cars could only turn left out of the site.

They also supported plans for four illuminated fascia signs, one illuminated totem sign and six directional signs.