More than 90 new jobs as McDonald's opens on former police station site

The former Brownhills Police Station on Chester Road, Walsall, closed its doors in 2014 as part of a force-wide initiative to cut costs, and the building was demolished earlier this year. A building on the site has now opened as a McDonald's restaurant.

The old site was sold to the fast food chain after going up for sale in 2020 with an asking price of £650,000, creating 92 jobs.

Branch franchisee Douglas Wright, from Aldridge, said: "We opened last week on the site of the old police station in Brownhills.

"This really represents a 2.5 million pound investment into the area. McDonald's wants to be as close to the town centre as possible and all the jobs are taken by the local people.

"The reaction from customers has been absolutely fantastic."

It is the 23rd McDonald's restaurant that Douglas Wright has opened, many of them based in the West Midlands.

He continued: "It's very exciting, particularly given the backdrop of how tough it is for restaurants in the area at the moment. The restaurant has proven to be very popular at the moment.

"I have opened two new restaurants in the area this year and employ around two and a half thousand people, but opening this McDonald's in my home town is one of my proudest moments."

The restaurant owner started his job in the industry straight out of school, eventually working his way to opening his own franchise.

The new restaurant was initially met with criticism, with some residents raising concerns about increased traffic congestion, pollution and anti-social behaviour.

However Mr Wright says that since opening the new location has been met with nothing but success. He said: "The restaurant is doing really well, the customers have reacted very positively to it, it's fantastic."