Ceredigion County Council and McDonald’s have agreed to consider measures to ease traffic at an Aberystwyth roundabout.

The county’s MS Elin Jones and Llanbardarn Fawr county councillor Gareth Davies brokered talks between all parties including the newly-formed Parc-y-llyn Access Group – established by residents in the estate next to the fast-food restaurant.

As the Cambrian News reported, residents are pleading with the council to act over the queues which can snake out on to the roundabout and down Fford Parc-y-llyn. The issues made headlines last month as it was revealed the scale of the traffic build up could be ‘seen from space’ in satellite images.

Residents say the county council and McDonald’s have been ‘ignoring’ congestion, pollution and road safety concerns.

But Ms Jones said progress was made after parties met on Friday (25 September) and agreed to look into measures to improve the situation.

“The council is going to look again at proposals for any modifications that could be done to the road layout to improve safety.

“We have also received confirmation from McDonald’s that they will be looking to relieve traffic pressure when the restaurant is closed to avoid congestion on the road.”

A county council spokesperson said: “The council have met with the stakeholders involved and will continue to have constructive dialogue with them.

“The stakeholders are investigating all reasonable avenues in order to see if there is a way to mitigate the current situation.

“The council can confirm that ‘road modification’ will be looked at as possibly one of those reasonable mitigation measures that may or may not present itself.”

The group is calling for a return to a chicane system in the McDonald’s car park which members say was scrapped last August, leading to worsening queues and resulting congestion.

It is also demanding the council reevaluate ‘outdated’ planning conditions for the McDonald’s restaurant and the entire car park due to rising use and the increasing overreliance on the drive-thru.

Resident Paul Thomas – who is a member of the Parc-y-llyn Access Group - said: “There’s looking at measures and then there’s doing something. We want action.

“I would hope a workable solution can be reached to what quite clearly is a road traffic hazard and an environmental concern with cars belching out fumes in queues.

“A solution needs to be agreed for the sake of other businesses in the area such as Next, and it needs to be workable for McDonald’s and good for residents.”

A McDonald’s spokesperson added: “Along with many others in our community, we are aware of the wider traffic issues in the area.

“We have welcomed welcome the opportunity to work with local councillors and others to help consider solutions.”

The Cambrian News has been reporting on concerns about noise and traffic at the restaurant since it was built in the late 1990s.