Dismay at McDonald's win

BY RHIANNON HORRELL

In the David and Goliath-style battle over whether a McDonald’s restaurant should be built in Balmoral, it seems the little man has lost.

On Tuesday three independent commissioners granted resource consent for a McDonald’s to be built at 1-5 Wiremu St, despite vigourous opposition from the community.

Both sides of the case were presented to a hearing in June after an Auckland City Council recommendation to decline consent and around 860 submissions opposing the application.

"It’s terrible. We’re absolutely astonished," says Nathan Inkpen of the Balmoral Community Group, which has fought the project from the start.

He says the panel has discarded all the council’s own planning experts’ evidence, all the local submissions from the community and all the evidence from the council’s traffic consultants.

"They all stated that the proposed development effect on noise, traffic and safety cannot be mitigated.

"Naturally we are incredibly disappointed and surprised at the outcome."

The group plans to appeal against the decision in the Environment Court.

"We are confident that the very real issues the local community and the council’s experts raised at the hearing will be taken more seriously at the Environment Court," Mr Inkpen says.

Eden Albert Community Board chairman Christopher Dempsey says he is disappointed with the decision.

"Litter will be thoughtlessly thrown out of car windows in surrounding residential areas, the smell of fried chips will drift through nearby residential homes and the loud roar of boy and girl racers will awaken young children long into the night."

But McDonald’s managing director Mark Hawthorne says the company is pleased with the decision.

"The commissioners found that the new restaurant will attract economic and employment benefits to Balmoral, stating that McDonald’s will provide valuable employment and training opportunities for a significant number of mainly young people."

He says the restaurant design would fit in with the Balmoral shopping centre and it will lift the visual amenity of the area.

"Fundamentally McDonald’s believes the site is suitable for a restaurant and we have tried very hard to ensure that we have the right mix of built development, landscaping and lighting."

Balmoral Community Group secretary Justine Tringham says the real issues have been ignored.

She says commissioners have listened to the McDonald’s experts over the council’s.

"It has left us wondering what is the point of the process."

The fast-food chain will be open 364 days a year and will close at 10pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends.

The conditions of the consent include a 200 metre litter patrol, a residents’ liaison committee and a seven metre tall sign instead of a 10m one.

Mr Inkpen says he is not confident the liaison group will have much effect.

"We can raise our concerns and they can ignore them."

Mr Hawthorne says McDonald’s will review the conditions of the consent with legal advisers.

- © Fairfax NZ News