FAST food chain McDonald’s is looking to open a new restaurant on the edge of York – but the city’s council leader has claimed the firm must first prove it can deal with rowdy city-centre customers.

The company has submitted proposals for a drive-through outlet at Monks Cross as a larger replacement for its current business at the nearby shopping park, which would close.

If approved by City of York Council, the new Monks Cross Drive restaurant would have 85 seats and 38 car-parking spaces. It would employ at least 65 full and part-time staff, including those based at its existing Monks Cross Shopping Park outlet, which McDonald’s said has been “significantly overtrading”.

However, council leader James Alexander said that before opening new premises, McDonald’s must look at antisocial behaviour associated with its Blake Street restaurant after complaints from residents led to the authority reducing the 24-hour opening times.

McDonald’s is appealing against the council’s licensing decision, saying such problems cannot all be directly linked to the restaurant and the company has taken steps to help tackle any issues.

In a planning statement, McDonald’s’ agents Planware Ltd said: “The company has recently been undertaking a thorough review of its portfolio of restaurants and is seeking to increase its representation in certain key locations.

“The site represents an appropriate location for a drive-through restaurant, which will be well-placed to offer refreshments to passing customers on Monks Cross Drive and those in the surrounding area. It creates an attractive and active form of development and will bring into use a vacant and underused brownfield site.”

Coun Alexander said McDonald’s had approached him about the Monks Cross proposals and he was “supportive of more investment and jobs coming to York”, but said: “In my opinion, issues with antisocial behaviour from their Blake Street restaurant need addressing before they can open more stories in York, and McDonald’s need to prove themselves to be good neighbours.”