McDONALD'S have lodged plans to build a new drive-thru restaurant on part of the car park at Tesco Extra in Duloch.

If approved, the franchise is expected to be open 24-7 and bring 65 new jobs to the area.

A total of 67 car-parking spaces will be lost at the supermarket to erect a restaurant with a drive-thru lane and car-parking, play frame, seating, landscaping and associated works at Turnstone Road.

After a review of their property portfolio, Tesco found that some parts of the existing car parks were underused and surplus to their requirements.

McDonald's say there is sufficient parking available for the retail development which "will not compromise the overall provision available for the Tesco superstore".

The fast-food chain confirmed to the Press in the New Year that they would be looking to build a unit at Duloch.

They aim to open it some time in 2021.

The applicants are seeking to build in the northern section of the Tesco car park, just across from Aldi, after planners recommended it would be situated better more centrally in the retail complex rather than at the south, adjacent to residential properties.

They believe the site is an "appropriate location for a drive-thru restaurant, which will be well-placed to offer refreshments to passing customers and those in the surrounding area".

The current McDonald's at Fife Leisure Park would be 1.8 miles away from the new franchise.

The proposal states that there will be enough customer seating for 107 visitors to enjoy their food in a "relaxed and modern setting".

The layout includes 18 parking spaces – inclusive of two accessible bays – and an additional 22 spaces which will be shared with Tesco.

To help with traffic flow in the drive-thru, a "fast-forward" lane will allow customers to pull forward to a third booth if there is a delay in the order.

McDonald's say their drive-thru restaurants ideally operate 24 hours a day, seven days per week, although there is some flexibility where specific amenity issues dictate otherwise.

The peak periods are usually lunchtimes, followed by evenings and breakfasts.

A dedicated section detailing how the applicants will deal with anti-social behaviour has been included in the planning application.

McDonald's said: "The restaurant shall maintain a strict protocol for ensuring noise and disturbance is kept to a minimum. All shift managers shall receive conflict resolution training sufficient to ensure they can deal effectively with noise or anti-social behaviour."

They will be operating CCTV at the restaurant.

The public has until March 12 to comment on the proposals.

Although the plans are at an early stage, opposition has already come from locals with many believing that traffic in the area is already too busy.

A McDonald’s spokesman said: "We can confirm an application has been submitted; it’s very early days in the planning process but all going well, we’d aim to open the restaurant some time in 2021.

"Of course, that’s entirely dependent on the speed of the planning process."