McDonald’s has opened its newest Pembrokeshire restaurant in Milford Haven today (Wednesday, February 28).

The fast food giant has served its first customers at the newly franchised Havens Head restaurant, built on the site of the former Paul Sartori furniture store.

It will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, although will operate solely as a drive-thru between 11pm and 5am each night.

The restaurant's franchisee currently runs 16 such restaurants across Wales, including in Haverfordwest, Pembroke Dock, St Clears and Carmarthen locally.

During a consultation period ahead of the application, an objection was received from a member of the public about to move to the area, who had raised concerns granting the late-night licensing would “invariably have an adverse impact with regard to excessive littering, noise, antisocial behaviour and late-night traffic”.

The McDonald’s application for the site offered a number of conditions in support of the license being granted, including CCTV, operating a Staff Safe scheme, the shift manager training in conflict management, a no open alcohol container policy, litter patrols extended to the nearby area, and self-closing doors to limit noise.

It added: “This restaurant understands that in extending our opening hours we have a duty to the local community and that we continue to protect our staff and customers from danger and harm.  We believe that the systems we have in place are robust, thorough and will, as far as reasonably practicable, secure the promotion of the four licensing objectives.

Representing McDonald’s at the recent meeting, Leo Charalambides outlined the conditions agreed by McDonald’s, members hearing the “100 covers” restaurant was expected to open in late February, with the concerns about late-night revellers met by the agreed conditions, the late-night service only being available as a drive-thru option.