en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 7, the Scottish Borders Council approved the construction of a new McDonald's restaurant, with a proposed investment of approximately £4 million. The decision was made by council planning officials under delegated powers, moving the project from the planning application stage to the permit approval stage.

The project will be built on a brownfield site of approximately 2 acres, with plans including a 24-hour drive-through restaurant, a coffee shop, electric vehicle charging facilities, and 38 parking spaces. The site was previously used for car sales and building materials operations, and the existing buildings have already been demolished. Once operational, the restaurant is expected to create around 100 jobs, of which approximately 70 will be full-time equivalent positions.

Prior to the approval, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Transport Scotland had raised deferral comments on the application; after these comments were withdrawn, the council made the approval decision. McDonald's had previously obtained development permission for the same site in 2020, but the project was not implemented at that time. The new proposal was announced in December 2025 and formally submitted as a planning application in January 2026. Once operational, the project is expected to pay between £50,000 and £60,000 in business rates annually.