McDonald's shop front advert - residents and councillors say it's a flagrant violation of planning and licensing laws

Published: 16 June 2011
by DAN CARRIER

A LARGE advert for a McDonald’s restaurant that appeared on a high street shop front could be the subject of legal action by the Town Hall.

The advert, on the shutters of a Kentish Town dry cleaners and only visible when the shop had closed, was put up without planning permission and has attracted stinging criticism from residents’ groups and councillors. 

It also claims the fast-food chain’s Kentish Town Road branch is open until 2am – when it is actually licensed to serve burgers and chips only until 1am. The restaurant recently withdrew an application to stay open until 5am after a letter from police officers accused it of bad management, which included inaccurate adverts over opening times. 

Kentish Town ward Labour councillor ­Georgia Gould said: “The council need to take strong action now. This is a flagrant breach of planning conditions and it is also breaking licensing laws.”

Her views were echoed by Kentish Town Road Action Group’s Caroline Hill. She said: “We plan to report this to the Town Hall’s enforcement team. We feel this shows terrible management by McDonald’s.”

A McDonald’s spokesman admitted the advert had stated the wrong closing time and said they were working to ­rectify it – but added that the responsibility for planning permission lay with an advertising firm called Streetskins who they had commissioned to put it up. 

The spokesman added: “We are sorry for the confusion caused to residents and whilst we resolve the issue we are having the advert ­completely removed.”

Streetskins sell advertising space on shop shutters and their managing director Andrew Field said their research had shown that 84 per cent of people polled would rather see an advert than a grey metal shutter at night. 

He added: “We have taken immediate action and rectified this. Streetskins has been in ­regular contact with the council and currently a planning application has been submitted to the council for review.”

A Town Hall spokesman said the council was investigating the breach of planning rules.