A proposed Hungry Jacks restaurant at Wallsend has been rejected after fierce community opposition and traffic concerns.
The development application for a 24-hour drive through restaurant at 111 Newcastle Road, next to Jesmond Salvos, was rejected by Newcastle council on August 2.
The council said the applicant provided insufficient information to show the proposal on the corner of Douglas Road would not create significant adverse traffic impacts.
More than 40 objections were also lodged against the development proposal.
The proposed vehicle entry and exit to the restaurant was on Douglas Road. Many submissions said the intersection already had congestion issues, which would be exacerbated by a busy fast food restaurant.
Transport for NSW also raised concern that vehicles stopped and waiting to turn right into the site from Douglas Street may cause vehicles to seek unsafe gaps to manoeuvre into the other lane, potentially creating safety issues.
"As well as potential safety issues, intermittent use of lane 2 north of the site entrance caused by the scenario as described above, may affect signal phasing and reduce vehicle clearance though the intersection, further impacting efficiency and amenity of the road network," Transport said.
The council also determined that most vehicles leaving the development would prefer to turn right on to Douglas Street to then enter Newcastle Road.
"This presents a problem as the queue length in the northbound lanes of Douglas Street are expected to extend beyond the development site frontage during peak traffic periods," the council's assessment stated.
The council was also not satisfied mine subsidence, land contamination, safety and crime prevention and stormwater had been adequately addressed in the documentation.
The proposal was lodged after the former Hungry Jacks at Jesmond was converted to a McDonalds in 2023.
City of Newcastle also refused a 2014 DA for a Carl's Junior restaurant on the Wallsend site due to traffic impacts, remediation and contamination issues and insufficient air quality information.
That application was later approved by the NSW Land and Environment in 2016, subject to a revised remedial action plan being completed. But the consent lapsed as it was never enacted.
