CARLISLE councillor Jo Ellis-Williams has discussed the potential opening of a second KFC branch in the city.

The fried chicken chain announced their intentions on opening an outlet in the northern section of the city at the start of the year, with plans for two new drive-thrus in the Asda car park on Chandler Way being considered by City Council.

Discussing the plans, Cllr Ellis Williams said: “If they install the drive-thru in that area it’ll mean that there will be little traffic around residential areas, when the London Road branch opened it was horrendous for the people who lived round there.

"The nearest residential estate to the Asda is Crindledyke which is a couple of miles away and would take a five-minute drive to get there so it is quite a distance.

“Living in the north of the city and being a Harraby councillor, another bonus for the area would mean that a second outlet could take away some of that additional traffic on London Road which I think would be a bonus for residents of the area.”

Mrs Ellis-Williams also spoke of the potential drawbacks of the plans. She continued: “One concern is that it’ll reduce the capacity of parking spaces at the Asda by 150-200 spaces.

"The report that has been done has claimed that during peak times the car park will not be affected, but I shop at that Asda as we live in the area and at times there can be a lot of cars there and it can get very busy.

“Another worry is that if you look at the drawing plans, it’ll take out the recycling area which is a worry.

"We are trying to encourage people to be more green and to recycle, will they be able to relocate the area?

"My main worry is the increase in litter. We drive along the northern bypass and there’s fast food litter across that road which is a problem for people who live in that area.

"Will the company set up a littering strategy together to address these issues? These are potential problems that may have to be discussed.”