Plans to build a McDonalds drive-through in St Ives have been approved by Huntingdonshire District Council.

The proposal was considered at a meeting of the development management panel on Monday, with plans for a drive-through Costa Coffee and a third space shared between Subway and a yet-to-be-agreed tenant also approved.

The plans have been subject to repeated objections from residents living close to the site, which sits to the west of Harrison Way, with concerns over noise, smells and litter.

Jean Tarling, of Rookery Close, said: “We all came out of the meeting really sad and upset.

“In five minutes it was all done and dusted and I think that’s a disgrace because there are lots of other places they could have put it in St Ives.”

Mrs Tarling also said she felt let down by St Ives Town Council, and that she felt the application was “cut and dried” before the meeting had even started.

The plans, lodged by The Abbey Group (Cambridgeshire) Limited, were passed with some conditions.

Councillor Peter Bucknell, who sits on the committee, said a fence would be erected between residents and the site to help block out noise.

“The other thing is the litter and the developers must provide a detailed plan of how they’re going to dispose of it, and it must be done every day,” he added.

Cllr Bucknell also said light pollution will be controlled and that trading hours will be restricted to 5am through to midnight, although the committee would like to see Sunday hours shortened.

Deliveries and waste collection must also take place between 8am and 8pm Monday to Saturday, and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

“There were a lot of residents there, and they didn’t seem to be upset. They got what they put forward which was the fence, lighting and the rubbish issues,” he said.

The council will meet again with the developers to confirm their conditions, and Cllr Bucknell expects the site could be open in about six months.