Shepton Mallet could get a 24-hour McDonald's drive-thru under plans submitted for Haskins Retail Park.

McDonald's Restaurants Ltd wants to build a freestanding restaurant on part of the Townsend site, with a drive-thru lane, car parking, landscaping and customer order displays. The scheme would use part of the retail park's north-western car park, described in the planning statement as under-used.

The company says the proposal would represent a multi-million-pound investment in the town and create more than 120 full and part-time jobs. McDonald's says it would seek to recruit staff from the local area.

The plans also include bringing the former car sales building at the retail park back into commercial use. It would be converted into two separate commercial units, while Shepton Mallet Police Station would remain in place outside the application site.

Haskins Retail Park is already home to several commercial uses, including Greggs, Subway and the Children's Hospice South West charity shop. The McDonald's restaurant would be built separately from that existing terrace.

The proposed restaurant would be single-storey and include 50 seats for customers eating inside. Food and drink would be sold for eating in, takeaway and drive-thru orders.

The application says the restaurant would operate 24 hours a day. Up to 15 staff would be on site at any one time.

A "fast forward lane" is included in the drive-thru layout. This would allow customers to move to a third booth if there is a short delay with an order, rather than blocking the main drive-thru lane.

Planning papers say vehicle and cycle parking would be provided, along with four electric vehicle charging spaces. The application is supported by transport, travel, delivery, noise, odour, drainage and ecology documents.

McDonald's says noise from fixed plant would be reduced where needed, and odour control measures would be installed. External lighting would be designed to limit light spill, glare and sky glow, with lighting columns limited to six metres.

The company says litter would be managed through bins, anti-littering signs and at least three daily litter patrols within 150 metres of the restaurant. It says those patrols would collect McDonald's packaging and other litter.

Pre-application advice was sought from Somerset Council in April 2025, with a response received in June 2025. The planning statement says officers advised that the development would generally be acceptable in principle.

The statement also says nearby Grade II listed buildings and a conservation area to the north and north-east are far enough from the site for the plans not to raise significant heritage setting issues.

Somerset Council will decide the application.

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