New jobs could be created as plans have been unveiled to open a third McDonald's drive-through restaurant in a coastal town.

A scheme has been earmarked for a new McDonald's restaurant on vacant land in north Lowestoft, opposite the town's main Tesco supermarket and close to a Travelodge Hotel.

It comes after the restaurant chain lodged three Illuminated Advertisement Consent applications to East Suffolk Council earlier this month.

These three applications are currently "awaiting decision."

One of the applications centres around "various site signage including four freestanding signs, one playland sign, one banner sign and 28 DOT (direction of travel) signs" on land at Leisure Way in Lowestoft.

A second Illuminated Advertisement Consent application has been lodged for "the installation of a freestanding totem sign" on land at Leisure Way, with the third application for the "installation of six fascia signs, three booth lettering signs and one 15" digital booth screen."

The new plans come after a drive-through outlet of the fast-food restaurant chain opened on a disused petrol station off Mill Road at Horn Hill in Kirkley, Lowestoft on April 21 last year.

However, business leaders, shoppers and retailers expressed dismay at the subsequent closure of the McDonald's restaurant on the main approach to Lowestoft town centre.

Now, almost a year on from the opening of the south Lowestoft drive-through restaurant and the closure of the town's London Road North restaurant, agents Planware Ltd have submitted plans on behalf of McDonald's Restaurants Ltd.

The plans show the new restaurant, with drive-through facilities, parking spaces for almost 60 vehicles and an electronic vehicle charging area.

It adds that the "application boundary" site area is 9,350sq m.

In December 2019, planning permission was granted for "construction of up to" 21 homes on "relatively flat vacant disused land" south of Leisure Way.

At the time of this application from Lawson Planning Partnership (LPP), submitted on behalf of Frostdrive Ltd, it was stated that the owner was looking to sell after getting permission.

A "prime residential development site" on land south of Leisure Way, Lowestoft has been marketed for sale with property experts Whirledge & Nott for £850,000.

Planning permission had also been approved for a care home and leisure schemes in 2009 and 2011 despite opposition to applications lodged back then by Frostdrive Ltd.