Plans to build a new McDonald’s drive thru in Slough have been blocked on the grounds that it would cause traffic jams.

The fast food chain wanted to build the new branch next to the Toby Carvery on London Road in Langley. It was to be drive thru only, with no seating.

But Slough Borough Council planning officers said it would have a ‘severe impact’ on queue lengths along the dual carriageway.

Plans to build the new McDonalds were first submitted to Slough Borough Council almost a year ago, in October 2023.

dThe right turn lane on London Road drivers would have needed to use to access the McDonald's drive thru in Langley (Image: Google) But council transport officers said that vehicles turning into the drive thru from the opposite side of London Road would fill up the right-turn lane.

They said that once this lane was full, ‘vehicles would queue back blocking the outside lane on the A4 London Road’. And they warned that drivers leaving the restaurant might try to make illegal right turns onto the dual carriageway using the same lane.

Council officers also argued that McDonald’s transport assessment didn’t reflect how busy London Road is at peak hours.

This was based on a survey on Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13, close to a bank holiday. Officers said the survey should have been carried out during rush hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays.

McDonald’s argued that its transport assessment was accurate, and also offered improvements to the right-turn lane.

But Slough Borough Council officers said these ‘fail to demonstrate’ that the drive thru ‘will not have a severe impact on queue lengths, road network capacity and highway safety’. The plans were refused on Wednesday, September 11.