Cr Clark sparked a furious response when he questioned Council’s planning resolve.

“Here we are at the first hurdle and we’ve rolled over. McDonald’s is doing our strategic planning for us and our staff may want to know why we’ve gone against their recommendations,” he said.

Cr Jim Mauger said he took umbrage at the comment and demanded to know what sites would be better than the one preferred by McDonald’s, while Cr David Stranger said the “sterile” vacant lot would be a “monument to this Council” if they knocked back development.

Mr Forster, who hinted that the new restaurant could be operated by Sutton Forest McDonald’s owner Graham Marcolin, said McDonald’s had already taken their amended plans to the RTA, which had initially raised traffic and safety concerns, and that the RTA had responded favourably to a new design and layout.

But it all hinged on McDonald’s being able to persuade Council to change the Wingecarribee LEP from residential to commercial on a residential block next to the corner site.

Cr Whipper was worried that other corporations might use this decision as a platform to demand changes to the LEP to accommodate their enterprises.

He also insisted that pedestrians and motorists would be at greater risk with a McDonald’s operating from that site.

“This is not McDonald’s bashing, this is a concern for community safety... and I agree with the conclusion of [Council] staff that this is not the way to do it,” he said.

“I’m a little perplexed. The ink hasn’t dried on the LEP and suddenly here’s McDonald’s leading the charge. Nobody’s saying we don’t want McDonald’s in Moss Vale. Nobody’s depriving any young person of jobs. This is working for the community’s best interest.”

Cr Clark was not suprised McDonald’s had set their sights on that particular site, given its location and amount of passing traffic, but wondered whether it was appropriate to do a spot rezoning to try and “fit a square peg into a round hole”.

“It’s not as if McDonald’s is the only business the site could be used for,” he said.

Mayor Duncan Gair said McDonald’s had not yet lodged a development application for the site.

“Council will work with McDonald’s to meet all requirements of the site,” he said.

Cr Whipper said Council had voted to extend the commercial precinct of Moss Vale beyond the borders of the new LEP.