Estepona Town Hall has initially approved the detailed study to organise two plots in the Camino de las Mesas sector, where the chain plans to set up. A 20-day objection period opens.
The restaurant chain McDonald's has taken a firm step towards establishing a restaurant in one of the fastest-growing urban areas of Estepona, the Camino de las Mesas sector. The local Town Hall has initially approved the detailed study that organises two plots designated for commercial, hospitality, and restaurant activities, a procedure that paves the way for the arrival of the American multinational.
The urban planning document, signed on June 10 and published in the Official Provincial Bulletin (BOP) on June 24, specifies the alignments, levels, and building volumes of the future development without altering the intended uses or increasing the building capacity authorised by the general planning. The Camino de las Mesas sector is a development of over 165,000 square metres in which the Town Hall has invested nearly 9 million euros to create a new residential, commercial, and facilities hub to the north of the urban centre.
The processing has favourable reports from the municipal services of Urbanism, Environment, Engineering, Topography, and Tree Management, which consider the operation viable from a technical and urban planning perspective. The file concludes that a strategic environmental assessment or a specific health impact study is not necessary, which speeds up the process.
However, the Town Hall has imposed two conditions that must be incorporated into the final design. The first requires differentiating the area of the pavement through which vehicles circulate with specific paving. The second mandates the preparation of a complete botanical inventory of the existing trees to assess their protection according to municipal regulations, aiming to preserve the area's vegetation.
With the publication of the announcement in the BOP, a period of 20 working days now opens for the submission of objections, during which the documentation can be consulted both at the Municipal Urbanism Office and on the Town Hall's electronic headquarters. Additionally, the initial approval comes with a temporary suspension of licenses on the land affected by the detailed study, a common measure to prevent actions incompatible with the urban planning that is ultimately approved.
This move represents a new advance for the establishment of a McDonald's outlet in this area of Estepona, which would add to the dining options in a rapidly expanding area. The Camino de las Mesas sector is set to become an attractive hub for new commercial and residential investments, and the arrival of a global chain like McDonald's reinforces its projection.
The company, which has dozens of restaurants in the province of Málaga, seeks to consolidate its presence on the Western Costa del Sol, where it already operates in towns like Marbella, Fuengirola, and Benalmádena. In the case of Estepona, the opening of a McDonald's would be the first in the municipality, generating expectations for job creation and economic dynamism in the area.
The next administrative step will be the final approval of the detailed study, once any objections have been resolved. From there, the company can apply for the building permit to begin construction of the restaurant, a process that, according to industry sources, could be completed within a timeframe of 12 to 18 months.
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