TWEED Shire Council has given final approval to the building of an 88 seat, 24-hour McDonald's restaurant at the old Norco site on Tweed Valley Way in Murwillumbah South.

The McDonald's restaurant will share the site with an IGA supermarket and two specialty stores.

Council approval followed an earlier 'deferred commencement approval' granted in February this year when the developer was asked to make a number of modifications to the original Development Application (DA).

Sticking points included the provision of automatic dimmer switches on illuminated signage, the provision of car parking spaces and landscaping of the site.

Residents filed a number of submissions during a 14-day exhibition period and raised concerns about visual and noise impacts, smells and odours emanating from the premises and the provision of a bus shelter capable of safely servicing the site.

Some locals suggested the developer plant large native trees along the riverbank to mitigate noise and visual impacts.

Although the developer was happy to provide these, constraints of the site, plants species and management issues resulted in the developer advising council they would not proceed with the additional landscaping.

Answering community concerns, the developer of the McDonald's restaurant pointed out it had reduced the extent of its lighting which fell well within current compliance limits.

They also confirmed the construction of an acoustic barrier along the eastern boundary would shield surrounding properties.

Council decided smell and odour issues did not warrant modifications to the DA and a proposed bus shelter within the road reserve would be adequate to ensure the safety of passengers.