A MCDONALD’S restaurant on the outskirts of Abergavenny will create a minimum of 85 jobs, the company claims.

The controversial scheme to open a fast food outlet on land known as the Westgate site off Merthyr Road next to the Heads of the Valleys Road in Llanfoist was granted planning permission by Monmouthshire council’s planning committee earlier this week.

The restaurant chain will join Costa Coffee, a Premier Inn Hotel and Brewer’s Fayre on the site.

Monmouthshire council also granted permission to put up 33 signs but refused an eight-metre high totem sign and three large banners.

A McDonald’s spokesman welcomed the decision, which was made at the council’s headquarters on Tuesday.

He said: “In light of the planning committee’s decision, we are pleased that our planned new restaurant has achieved planning consent and we are now able to create a minimum 85 new jobs, bringing investment to the local Llanfoist and wider Abergavenny area.”

“We note that our plans did attract support from across the community and we will continue to work with the local people and the council as we move forward.”

The decision has left campaigners against the scheme “devastated”, “disheartened” and concerned that it could cause an increase in litter, traffic in the village, anti-social behaviour and road safety concerns.

However, supporters claim that the number of jobs created will be a boost to the area and that the outlet will offer somewhere that is affordable for families with lower incomes and bring new life to the town.

The ‘Yes to McDonald’s in Abergavenny group’ gained 2,089 members on the social networking site Facebook.

Craig Titchener, 37, from Dan-y-Deri in Mardy who set up the group last year, said it would create more jobs and improve the site which previously included a derelict building.

He said: “There is nowhere in Abergavenny for families to go after 6pm-McDonald’s offers kids parties and would be a family friendly atmosphere.”

“It’s great that it will create jobs for local people, who may otherwise have to travel out of Abergavenny for work.”

The 37 year-old mechanic from Dan-y-Deri in Mardy added: “We are over the moon.”