A town centre car park deemed surplus to requirements is to shut to make way for a new McDonald’s restaurant.

The 51-space Woolcomber Street car park in Dover is due to be replaced by a 24-hour drive-thru after the burger giant’s plans were approved by Dover District Council (DDC) in June.

The authority is planning to shut the facility on Thursday, November 13, but says the move is still subject to the outcome of a public consultation.

It is currently asking residents for their views on the proposed closure, and says it will “review and consider” any responses received before the deadline on Sunday, November 9.

DDC believes the car park is “surplus to current parking needs”, and says building on the site will “support economic development in the district”.

It is not yet known when work on the McDonald’s restaurant will begin, but DDC approved the plans for a second time in June.

The council initially gave the green light for the chain to open on the car park and neighbouring former Dover Leisure Centre site in December.

However, the authority revoked its approval after a campaign group called Friends of the Castle Conservation Area (FCCA) sent a pre-action letter to the council, indicating its intention to launch a Judicial Review.

This is a type of court proceeding in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body.

DDC admitted it failed in its duties regarding two sections of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 when initially approving the scheme.

As a result, the application was sent back to the committee to be reassessed, and an updated planning officer’s report was drawn up - including an improved heritage and archaeological impact statement - to “address the grounds” for Judicial Review.

It found the scheme would cause “less than substantial harm” to historic sites such as the Grade II-listed St James’ Church, which sits next to the plot, and nearby Dover Castle.

The officer recommended the project for approval again, and it was then approved by DDC’s planning committee.

In a statement, a DDC spokesman said the authority is “following due process” by running a consultation on the closure of the car park.

“We must conduct a consultation when considering closure of one of our car parks,” he said.

“The consultation will gather views from the community and stakeholders and any objections and representations will be considered carefully and objectively.”

DDC says any objections “must explain the impact on traffic in the locality to be valid”.

Those wishing to respond to the Woolcomber Street proposals should do so by clicking here.

McDonald’s used to have a town centre restaurant in Biggin Street, but it shut down in November 2017.

The chain opened a branch at Discovery Park, Sandwich, in 2023.