The new McDonald's restaurant is set to open its doors in Ammanford this week.
The 24-7 restaurant has been built next to the Tesco car park, and the full unveiling is on Wednesday, December 3.
It features a 76-seat dining area, restrooms, parking facilities, drive-through and a play frame for children.
The McDonald's is already hiring staff. (Image: Newsquest)
The completion of the property follows a lengthy planning process after full permission was granted in June 2024 and changes to the roof were requested in August 2024.
Since McDonald's first launched its proposal, the project has split opinion among locals, councillors and politicians.
The largely undisputed perception is that more working opportunities will become available, offering an opportunity for young people to begin employment.
Outside of the construction site, a banner with the headline 'Hiring Now' is clearly displayed along with the prompt to search for full-time and part-time vacancies on the McDonald's website.
Some locals have also implied that a new McDonald's will help bring more people into Ammanford which could have a positive knock-on effect for the town, increasing footfall and eatery options for those visiting.
One resident even proposed that a large franchise like McDonald's opening in Ammanford, is a sign that investment is being made into the town.
However, these potential benefits were disregarded by 206 unique public representations who opposed the development, with many citing litter, environmental impact, traffic congestion and access issues.
Ammanford Town Council expressed concerns such as a loss of privacy for residents, traffic congestion, anti-social behaviour and noise and disturbance.
County Councillors for Ammanford Deian Harries and Colin Evans agreed with the town council while mentioning the conflict with local development plan policies and the removal of free parking spaces creating a more crowded area.
Former MP Jonathan Edwards objected to the proposal too, touching on the negative impact on smaller businesses, the impact on child obesity, air quality due to increased traffic congestion and lack of support from the community.
Nevertheless, the recent approval of a 24-hour license was deemed the worst aspect of the McDonald's by Cllr Kevin Madge who labelled the decision as a 'big mistake.'
Cllr Madge has opined the license will lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour problems, due to drunk people potentially going to the McDonald's late at night and causing disturbance to residents in the surrounding area.
He added the restaurant could take business away from independent eateries in Ammanford, leading to less job availability.
Another objector, Sian Hodder called for McDonald's to employ a security guard on Friday and Saturday nights if it was to operate 24/7.