Plans are currently being considered for McDonald's to open a drive thru in the former Argos building on Midsomer Norton High Street.

The change of use application is now open for comments, and the local police force have expressed a lot of concern about what a late night opening, or even a possible 24 hours opening, with a big car park might mean in terms of local crime levels.

They have posted on the application (23/03656/FUL) that they are concerned that if McDonald's has unrestricted opening hours there will be a heightened potential for alcohol related violence.

Officers are also worried that within the application there is no information on any CCTV.

They also say if McDonald's is allowed to open for 24-hours there is " potential for the restaurant to become a honey pot for those leaving nearby licenced premises in the early hours and may become a flash point for alcohol related assaults. At such a time vehicles and pedestrians may congregate when all other premises are closed which may in-turn cause anti-social behaviour to neighbouring dwellings through noise. "

Police figures given out for the specific area where McDonald's would open

Within the comments section police have listed the number of incidents over the the last 12 months within a radius of 250 metres of the proposed development along Midsomer Norton High Street.

Type Incident Count ASB 70* Violence Against The Person 60 Public Order Offences 17 Theft 14 Arson and Criminal Damage 12 Vehicle Offences 5 Burglary 2 Drug Offences 2 Miscellaneous Crimes Against Society 1 Robbery 1 Theft of a pedal cycle 1 Sexual Offences 1 *(of which 31 Nuisance related)

PC Mark Graham, the local Beat officer for the Midsomer Norton High Street area explained that the area is often used as a cut through from the nearby Town Park.

He wrote: " Car drivers would race into the Somer Centre car park do doughnuts and then race back out into the High Street. Those with mopeds would often wheely along Gullock Tyning and speed off into the High Street. At times the High Street would feel like a racetrack with the youths using the one-way system as a circuit. This meant that youth were around the High Street into the late evenings. One issue that I have had is that the youths often use the cut throughs to the High Street from Gullock Tyning that emerges adjacent to DOMINOS PIZZA this often means that officers will lose sight of the youths as they run off in an attempt to evade speaking to me or my colleagues. "

McDonald's told Nub News

"We continue to progress with our application for this site, with the ambition of opening the new restaurant in 2024."