McDonald's to create 120 jobs with new hi-tech store in Waterlooville

Franchisee Grant Copper outside his Havant store

The two-storey building, which will be similar to the recently-opened McDonald’s at North Harbour, Portsmouth is on schedule to open in November.

It is being built on the former BAE site, off Hambledon Road.

Franchisee Grant Copper, from Copnor, is hoping to take on the store when it opens. He runs 18 McDonald’s across the area – including Havant, Fareham, Fratton, Commercial Road in Portsmouth, Cosham and North Harbour.

He said: ‘We have started recruiting for that store and work has started to build it. They are preparing the ground. The store is modular and is being created off-site, and it’ll be put together on site by November.’

He said the store would create 120 jobs – a mix of full-time and part-time.

There was a McDonald’s in Waterlooville Precinct, not run by Mr Copper, which shut in July 2014.

Mr Copper said: ‘The old Waterlooville restaurant was a high street store. The drive-thru format is much more popular with our customers today.

‘I am looking forward to seeing it open. It will be modern, with all the hi-tech additions that the Havant store has, such as self-order kiosks, table services and iPads.’

Developer Hargreaves submitted plans for the McDonald’s and a Lidl with 102 parking spaces on the site, which was granted by Havant Borough Council in July.

It was also given permission for a change of use of the existing BAE building, known as ‘E Block’, to non-food retail and/or leisure uses.

Cllr David Guest, who is in charge of regeneration at the council, said: ‘It is good news that businesses want to go in there. What we want to do is attract more and more leisure providers and the likes of McDonald’s and similar are immensely popular with people. If the developer puts those type of places in, then it will help to at tact other leisure providers.’

He added: ‘I am pleased about the jobs, and I know the developer is talking to a number of other businesses about that site.

‘Although I want to reassure residents that it will not be another retail park, but a vibrant leisure park.’