Rutland will soon lose its claim of being the only English county without a McDonald's after councillors voted in favour of allowing the fast food chain to build a drive-thru on the outskirts of Oakham. More than 50 people wrote to the county council objecting to the plans, with one woman saying it was because of "who [McDonald's] are and what they stand for". But no-one on the authority's planning committee voted against the proposals, with eight in favour and one abstaining. Many fear the arrival of a big-name, fast-food restaurant will forever change the character of the nation's smallest county - famous for its hunting scene, tourist-attraction reservoir, and independent schools. "It's disgusting - Oakham is not the place for it," says Sandra Wells, 57, who has lived in Rutland all her life. "I don't like fast food and there are too many McDonald's [elsewhere]." But those in the town who do enjoy a Big Mac are happy at the prospect of not having to travel to a different county every time they want a fix.Oakham's mayor David Romney supports McDonald's plans - it is suggested the restaurant could create 65 jobs - and believes it will lift the town out of the "Dark Ages".
