THE owner of the new McDonald’s restaurant in Cannon Lane has employed two litter pickers in an effort to show the chain will be ‘a responsible member of the community’.
Surjit Manger, 46, has said that before opening the 24-hour drive-thru on December 28, local residents had highlighted rubbish and noise as the main issues of concern with the new outlet.
Mr Manger, who has also run the branch on the High Street since 2014, has responded by recruiting two people to keep the area clean – as well as buying ‘Ralph’ the litter cart for £800.
“From our perspective it is not about costs, it is about being responsible and doing the right thing,” he said.
“I’m going to be here for 20 years at least, that’s how long the lease is, so I want to be a responsible member of the community.
“There is a stigma attached to big chains, but hopefully people will see we are doing our bit,” he added.
He claimed there hadn’t been any ‘major’ incidents of litter: “We have seven bins in the car park and we keep it clean. By doing that, I hope it will encourage people to do the same.”
On the issue of noise, Mr Manger said that signs had been put up asking customers to be respectful of residential neighbours.
“If someone is making a racket, we will go out there and tell them to stop. If they persist, we will bar them, although this hasn’t happened yet.”
