Furious mum puts up banner outside McDonald’s after builders ‘ruin’ home

A livid mother has taken a stand against the golden arches by hanging a banner declaring her discontent with a new nearby McDonald’s – alleging its construction team ‘wrecked’ her fencing.

Rachel Laidler, 55, is up in arms after reporting that the fast food giant’s builders caused significant damage to her bordering wall while excavating a 4.5m (15ft) trench for a ‘water treatment tank’ adjacent to the structure. Initially striking a harmonious relationship with the labourers, Rachel and her spouse Peter, 70, were aggrieved when the gaping hole emerged alarmingly close at just 1.9m (6ft) from their sleeping quarters in Ilkley, West Yorks.

The situation became further tense for Rachel, who also shares her abode with nonagenarian father Cyril Taylor, 91, due to what she views as unsympathetic handling by McDonald’s and the council in her efforts to resolve the plight. McDonald’s representative later conveyed their assurance that all appropriate measures had been observed, additionally pledging to mend the fence.

Nevertheless, Rachel unveiled her bold signage on Wednesday, coinciding with the eaterys inauguration, broadcasting: “We’re not loving it – see the unrepaired damage they left behind their fence”.

Amidst fears that the Labour administration’s potential easing of planning regulations and setting mandatory housing quotas might spark widespread contention of this nature, the incensed mother-of-four warns: “People all over the country are having these issues. Everybody says you shouldn’t take on McDonald’s but it’s just wrong what they are doing. They just don’t care and yet they pretend to care. So that’s a conflict in their marketing.”

Sharing her father’s bewilderment, Rachel laments: “I’ve got my 91-year-old dad living with us and he just can’t believe that anybody could be such a bad neighbour. I’m just angry and I just can’t bear injustice. I’ll stand up for the people in the next development as well now that I see the bigger picture.”

Soft furnishings company boss Rachel was initially delighted when work started on transforming a former Kashmiri restaurant into a McDonald’s, as the building had become an eyesore.

At the time, her husband Peter was undergoing ‘brutal’ treatment for throat cancer, and Rachel’s focus was on supporting him through his harrowing battle. Initially, they enjoyed a cordial relationship with the construction team, with Peter even lending a hand when he felt well enough.

However, their rapport soured dramatically after the builders excavated a vast pit near their five-bedroom house, which, according to Rachel, led to damage to their concrete retaining wall. She recounted: “Relationships were fine. My husband went around and helped them with one or two bits and pieces as he started to feel a bit better.”

“And we weren’t looking over the fence the whole time because we’ve got our own lives to get on with. Then they came around and said, ‘We’re going to be digging a hole really quite close to your fence… It might be good if the dogs don’t go round there. And then we couldn’t believe it it was literally the other side, and this hole just got deeper and deeper. It’s 1.9m from our bedroom wall and it’s over 4.5m deep.”

The incident led to a fallout between Rachel, Peter, and the builders. Rachel has been tirelessly emailing Bradford Council about the water treatment tank, which is currently undergoing a retrospective planning application process.

However, she feels that the council has simply “washed their hands” of the issue. She expressed her frustration: “There was nobody to talk to us, environmental health never came out, nobody even acknowledged our emails, many of which were sent. The only email we ever got back was, ‘It’s been signed off, it’s nothing to do with us any more’.”

With Labour’s manifesto pledge to revamp the planning system, Rachel fears this could lead to more similar problems.

She warned: “Labour is planning to ease up planning restrictions, so it’s something that might become more of a problem. We’ve paid our council tax year in, year out for decades, and we are not being listened to or represented in any way. I wonder if it’s going on all over the country.”

A McDonald’s spokesperson provided some clarity on the situation: “As part of building our new McDonald’s Restaurant in Ilkley, we installed a water treatment tank, following a review of the local drainage infrastructure. Once on site, it became clear that the water treatment tank could not be placed in the exact spot originally planned. However, the main outlet pipe where the treated water leaves the site remains in the same location.

“Relevant experts have assured us that the relocated tank does not impact neighbours or the surrounding area in any way, and we are working with the planning authority to make sure they are satisfied the correct procedures have been followed, and will follow any further steps they ask us to take. We have made a commitment to repair the damaged fence and this week we contacted the neighbour to discuss next steps.”

A Bradford Council spokesperson stated: “The Council is aware of this issue and is in discussions with the owners’ representatives. We have been advised that a retrospective Planning Application is being prepared and once received the Council will fully consider it, which will include the usual publicity to give residents a chance to make their comments.”