COUNCILLORS have rejected plans by McDonalds in Bromsgrove Road, Halesowen, to open an hour earlier in the mornings.

The fast food giant had applied to open from 5am, instead of 6am, until 11pm at its drive-thru restaurant.

Dudley planners had recommended giving temporary permission to the plan but at Tuesday’s development control committee meeting at Dudley Council – councillors turned down the bid, saying it would be detrimental to nearby residents due to the noise levels it would create at such an early hour in the day.

The restaurant successfully obtained permission to open from 6am, instead of 8am, from December 2014.

But councillor Jackie Cowell, committee chairman, said of the company's latest application: “It’s a bit of a slippery slope. If we do this they’ll be trying to move more towards 24 hours – I think we need to stand up for the ordinary people.”

Halesowen South councillor David Vickers said: “5am is much too much for the residents who live there.”