ALTRINCHAM’S lovin’ it: McDonald’s is planning to introduce another lane at its George Richards Way drive-thru to cope with growing demand.

The fast food chain has submitted plans to Trafford Council for a double drive-thru at Altrincham Retail Park.

A previous scheme to bump it up to two lanes was approved in 2013 but this never came to fruition.

An application was resubmitted on August 9, with additional alterations, including a new roof design and a 74.8sqm extension.

A McDonald's spokesperson said: “We can confirm that plans have been submitted for a dual lane drive thru at our Altrincham restaurant. This will enable two cars to order simultaneously using dual order displays improving the overall efficiency and speed of service.”

Customers would enter the drive-thru through one lane, before splitting off into one of two lanes, which are separated by an island.

Two drivers could order their meals simultaneously and then the lanes would merge on approach to the collection point.

Plans state that this will assist in ‘reducing the length of the potential queue, by increasing the speed of preparing the orders and thus reducing congestion within the site during those busy periods’.

Onsite car parking spaces would be reduced from 24 to just 5, a loss of 19 spaces, but documents state that ‘sufficient parking is allocated within the wider retail park’.

As well as a double drive-thru, the restaurant would undergo external changes. A new roof would be put in place, a front bay extension erected, new patio area created, new signage installed and the entrance would be relocated. There would also be the addition of three new cycle racks and a pedestrian crossing at the drive thru entrance.

These changes would aim to create a ‘fresher more contemporary façade in keeping with the site and its surround’.

The fast food chain began introducing dual drive-thrus to help cope with increasing demand and currently have 455 dual drive-thrus across the UK.