Thursday June 25th 2026
McDonalds drive-thru
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
East Lothian Planning Committee met on Wednesday 24 June and heard two applications; a drive thru fast food restaurant at Macmerry and details of a substation and cabling works on land between Skateraw and Branxton.
Following a debate, councillors voted eight to three to approve an application from McDonalds for a drive-thru on the Macmerry service station site, off the A1 Gladsmuir junction. Planning permission for the wider site was granted in January 2019 for the petrol service station, coffee shop and two drive-thru restaurants, with the petrol station and drive-thru coffee shop now operational.
Although planning consent already exists for two restaurants on the site, McDonalds had applied for fresh consent due to differences between their design and layout and the existing permission. Planners had recommended approval of the application.
Permission was sought for the restaurant and drive-thru lane plus car parking area including two accessible parking spaces, EV chargers for four vehicles and a cycle parking stand. The applicant had also submitted a litter management plan including the provision of bins and this will be enhanced at the planning committee’s request to at least three litter picks per day.
A total of 11 objections had been received to the plans raising concerns around unhealthy eating habits and an increase in litter. Macmerry and Gladsmuir Community Council also raised an objection to the plans, mainly due to potential litter.
The application had been called off the Scheme of Delegation by Councillors Menzies and McIntosh due to community council and local concerns including in relation to litter.
The application was approved with an amendment to a condition so that the applicant must have an updated litter management plan approved by the local authority before the development starts.
The second application by SSE related to onshore electricity transmission infrastructure as part of the offshore Berwick Bank Wind Farm, which was granted consent by Scottish Ministers in July 2025. In December 2023, planning permission in principle was granted for the construction and operation of onshore electricity transmission infrastructure in the form of a substation and associated development including underground electricity cables and landfall at Skateraw.
Planners had recommended approval of the application, which included detail of the layout, siting, design and external appearance of the substation, electricity cables and associated infrastructure.
Two objections had been received to the plans, mainly concerned about potential noise and construction traffic.
Following a debate, committee members voted unanimously to approve the application.
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