After months of speculation by locals, McDonald’s has submitted an application for land use consent to establish a new restaurant in Wānaka, in an area it recently rejected as “the backblocks”.

The application for a 450.4sqm McDonald’s restaurant and drive through - located near the BP service station at Three Parks, at 1 Sir Tim Wallis Drive - is currently being vetted by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC).

McDonald’s Restaurants (NZ) Limited said the restaurant and drive-through would operate 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

A company spokesperson told the Wānaka App earlier this year it hadn’t given up on setting up a Wānaka restaurant, after being dealt a blow when independent commissioners turned down its proposal for a 447m2 restaurant and drive-through at Mt Iron Junction.

Many of the people who submitted against the original proposal for the Mt Iron Junction McDonald’s - which was turned down due to ‘more than minor’ adverse effects on the environment - suggested a McDonald’s would be better located in Three Parks, however during the hearing the fast food giant said it deemed that area “the backblocks”.

The new application is for a six-metre high, single-level restaurant building - with seating for 75 diners.

Signage would include a six-metre high blade sign with an illuminated ‘M’, and there would be 19 car parks, including two parks within a drive-though lane at the ‘grill order’.

McDonald’s application says while “public interest in the brand is acknowledged”, it does not justify public notification of the application.

The owner of the site is Willowridge Developments Limited, which is owned by Three Parks developer Allan Dippie.

Allan has previously told the Wānaka App he expected to be approached by fast-food restaurants seeking drive-through locations.

“We realise half the town would be very pleased if they came to town and the other half wouldn’t be… The thing to remember however is that neither half is forcing the other half to frequent such establishments.”

Allan said the important thing was “locating such businesses in the right place”.

McDonald’s was approached for comment.

IMAGES: Supplied