MCDONALD’S appears to have more support of locals as it tries again to open a new restaurant in Herefordshire.

The fast-food chain has resubmitted plans for a drive-thru in Ross-on-Wye but, so far, appears to have more support than objections.

The new restaurant would be located to the east of the A40, adjacent to the Over Ross Roundabout with the A449, to the north of Ross-on-Wye.

The new application, for a new freestanding restaurant with drive-thru, car parking, landscaping and associated works, including customer order displays, goal post height restrictor, play frame and pumping station, shows the site will be bigger than the previous plans showed.

This is to allow for future development to use the space for more building and more green space between the houses and McDonald’s.

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The company initially withdrew plans after it received 221 objections and 97 submissions of support locally, with National Highways and Ross-on-Wye Town Council among those to raise concerns.

This time though, people living in and near Ross-on-Wye have left comments of support, many of which said it would be a great addition to the town.

“It will be great to have a local McDonald’s not only for convenience but also for more jobs for our ever-growing town,” said Craig Beaumont, of Ross-on-Wye.

Others also mentioned the need for jobs in the area.

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Steven Chambers, of Ross-on-Wye, said: “McDonald’s always support local projects and support the community. People have been wanting this for a long time.”

Others said they think a new drive-thru in Ross-on-Wye will cut down on traffic in Hereford, with the McDonald’s in Belmont Road a draw for people wanting their burger fix.

“It would help with the overuse of the drive thru in Hereford, many people travel from Ross to go to the Belmont McDonald's in Hereford,” said Kalvin Williams-Grubb.

Lisa McIntyre, of Ross-on-Wye, thinks the new restaurant would bring people in from other market towns and Hereford.

“It will help the already busy restaurants on the M50 and A49 it will be good for local employment, and it will be good because it will bring people from other local towns to Ross when they otherwise wouldn’t,” she said.

“It offers more choice and it’s keeps the monopoly down.”

Herefordshire Council’s planning team said due to the volume of comments being received it would not be publishing any further representations on the application until after the consultation end date.

It said it currently had a further 420 comments to publish.

Comments can be submitted for the application P222314/F until Tuesday, August 30.

The target date for a decision from planners for the application is Wednesday, September 7.