New McDonald’s drive-thru plan officially tabled

Thursday, 17 April 2025 16:50

By George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter

CGI of how the new Molesworth Street McDonalds in Rochdale could look.

A new McDonald’s drive-thru could soon be coming to Rochdale.

It has been over a decade since the last Rochdale McDonald’s site closed its doors on Yorkshire Street in 2011. Now, 14 years later, the US fast-food chain has officially tabled their plan for a new restaurant on Molesworth Street, close to the town centre.

Currently, the nearest McDonald’s locations to the town centre are the restaurants at Sandbrook Park Retail Park and Kingsway Business Park.

If approved, the new 24/7 drive-thru restaurant would be built on the junction of Molesworth Street and Water Street. The site would be open all hours, create up to 120 new jobs, have 37 parking spaces as well as indoor and outdoor seating, according to planning agent Lichfields.

Planning papers read: “The design concept for the proposal centres on the delivery of a high-quality development that enhances this underutilised site on the edge of Rochdale town centre.

“The proposed drive-thru restaurant will have a modern aesthetic which is in keeping with the commercial setting of the area and integrates new landscaping and tree planting.”

Consultation on the proposals was launched last Summer, where the fast-food giant promised huge benefits to the area, including significant investment into the local economy and the creation of both full-time and part-time jobs.

The site where the new restaurant could be created currently acts as a car park off the main road. The underused land is surrounded by other large businesses from the retail and automotive sectors.