Council Rejects Newtown McDonald’s After Community Campaign

The City of Sydney has rejected an application to open a new McDonald’s in Newtown after community pushback.

The fast food behemoth was planned for a $1.7 million redevelopment of a real estate agency and clothing shop on King Street, and was fiercely opposed by locals.

SLR Consulting Australia lodged a development application in early July for a “24-hour Takeaway Food and Drink premises” at 212-214 King Street, with the proposed restaurant situated inside a renovated late Victorian building typical of the area, next to long-time community gem, Clem’s chicken shop.

Sydney resident and actor, Liam Coffey, campaigned against the restaurant’s construction, using social media to encourage locals to make submissions to the council opposing the development.

 

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About 1,5000 submissions were received, with some highlighting the presence of the Stanmore McDonald’s barely than two kilometres away.

Concerns were also raised by NSW Police, who warned a 24/7 McDonald’s in Newtown could lead to an aggrevate anti-social behaviour, increase traffic congestion negatively impacting pedestrian and road safety, and lift the number of crimes reported.

Keeping Newtown weird

As per The Guardian, the gallery applauded when the planning council rejected the proposal on Wednesday evening.

“This is one small step for Newtown, one big step for the world and using our voice,” said Coffey in an Instagram video following the decision.

It’s not the first time the fast food giant has been opposed by Sydney locals.

A proposed McDonald’s restaurant in Redfern was previously rejected by the City of Sydney back in May, following opposition from the police and Aboriginal organisations. Another proposal, for a franchise in Balgowlah, was similarly rejected by the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel in July.

A McDonald’s also operated in Newtown from 1989 to 1998 in the building that now houses Irish pub Kelly’s on King, until locals drove them out before the start of the new millennia, with a statement from McDonald’s claiming the restaurant was “closed due to the changing demographics of the Newtown area”.