McDonald’s Cheltenham: Burger chain eyes prime site

A MASSIVE planning fight is brewing as McDonald’s eyes a prime patch of land in Melbourne’s leafy inner south – about 15 years after a Macca’s branch in the area closed after it copped flak from people living nearby.

McDONALD’S will have a fight on its hands if it wants to put the Golden Arches back in Bayside, a councillor has warned.

The fast-food chain is eyeing up a prime patch of Cheltenham land for a new restaurant – a plan that would be likely to draw a flood of objections.

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Several sources confirmed McDonald’s lodged an application to build on part of the vacant Bay Rd and Reserve Rd site.

The restaurant would go in near a planned Dan Murphy’s and close to a Highett public housing estate.

If approved, the new Macca’s would double the number of fast-food chain restaurants in Bayside.

The only existing one in the municipality is the Hampton Red Rooster at the corner of South Rd and Hampton St.

Councillor Rob Grinter told last week’s council meeting he had “heard a rumour” McDonald’s would be making another attempt to establish itself in Bayside.

Cr Grinter said during the meeting “there was bound to be few people upset with this” but told the Leader he had to “keep an open mind on these matters”.

“I would need to assess the permit application on its merit when it is presented to me,” he said.

McDonald’s earlier attempt to move into Bayside ended abruptly in the early 2000s when it closed its Church St, Brighton restaurant after “copping flak from locals”.

A McDonald’s spokesperson said there was no plans for the site “at this stage” but said it was “open to opportunities in the region”.

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