PLANS by a burger giant to open a new restaurants just 150 yards from its first outlet have been condemned by councillors.

McDonald's is the favourite takeaway restaurant to win the lease for a drive-thru near Accrington's new Cinema complex.

The firm's existing restaurant in Blackburn Road is currently being refurbished and is less than 150 yards away from the cinema site being developed on waste ground at the junction of Hyndburn Road and King Street.

The names of the cinema operator, Metroplex Cinemas, and the bowling firm, Osprey, which will operate a 20-lane alley, have been known for months, but McDonald's have waited until this week to confirm their presence on the £3.8million project.

However, despite welcoming the project as being instrumental to the regeneration of Hyndburn, councillors have condemned the decision to give the famous firm a monopoly in town.

Coun Tim O'Kane said: "The whole point is to create something different in the town. I am very disappointed that McDonald's will take on the new site.

"Surely we could have found someone a bit healthier or, if nothing else, someone who doesn't already have a presence in the town. It is just so close."

Coun Dave Parkins added: "We should be having a proper restaurant here, not a drive-thru and certainly not another McDonald's. Talk about a monopoly.

"People should be able to go to that site if they want a meal, not to grab a burger on the way out. I am very disappointed." Nigel Rix, director of Hyndburn First, the council's regeneration arm, and a director of Globe Enterprises, the part council-owned firm created to promote such development schemes, defended the decision.

He said: "Contracts have not been exchanged yet so we cannot officially say who is moving in. But they are different types of establishments. "One is a restaurant and one is a drive-thru, and will be used by different people."

McDonald's has also unveiled plans to build its first McDonald's outlet at a service station in the North West alongside junction four of the M65 in Darwen. Plans have been submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council for that scheme.

And plans for its first branch in the Ribble Valley have been put on hold after councillors in the borough asked for a traffic study to be carried out.

A spokesperson for McDonalds said: "We are looking at building a drive-thru restaurant at the leisure complex and have agreed terms with the landlord. This restaurant is to complement the existing one and will service people going to the cinema and bowling alley.

"We are not aware of any objections to the plans and would not be looking to open a second restaurant if we thought there was not enough business there for the two types of customers - shoppers and leisure customers."