A global fast-food company has rejected calls for it to hold wide-ranging public consultation over plans for a “drive-thru” restaurant in Bury St Edmunds.

Moreton Hall estate residents fiercely oppose the proposal for a McDonald’s adjacent to the Dragonfly Hotel in Symonds Road, fearing it would lead to traffic chaos, litter and noise and light pollution.

Independent councillor Trevor Beckwith, a county councillor for Moreton Hall, wants McDonald’s to engage with the community over its application, but the corporation has said “due to the size of the site” it has no plans to hold a “wide-ranging public consultation”.

Mr Beckwith has invited McDonald’s to a public meeting next week, but he said as the firm will not attend it is now not going ahead.

He said: “I think it has put so much inaccurate information in its application it should come along and face the people who are going to suffer the consequences if it goes through.”

He said the inaccuracies included the claim “surrounding uses are typical of a retail park” when in fact it would be on “a nice approach to a fairly good quality residential area”.

Cliff Hind, chairman of the Moreton Hall Residents’ Association (MHRA), said it was “unacceptable” McDonald’s was refusing to consult directly with the public. He said: “In the past the McDonald’s corporation has been responsive to the local population, in some cases doing a wide-ranging litter-pick.

“I would have thought that it would be in its interest to at least have a public meeting to explain how it sees the project.”

Increased traffic at the already congested Sainsbury’s roundabout, which links through to the A14, is one of the major concerns.

In an email to Mr Beckwith, Dan Cooper, regional communications officer for McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd, said: “We have been progressing this application through the various public statutory consultees and in accordance with the guidance from the local planning authority.

“We are still awaiting feedback from a number of sources before this application proceeds.”

A McDonald’s spokesperson added: “A new restaurant would bring positive investment to the area and provide at least 65 full and part-time jobs for the local community.

“Whilst we are unable to attend this particular meeting, we will be looking at the matters discussed and reviewing the points presented. We appreciate that there have been concerns raised about the new development and we are committed to working with the local community and council to address these.”