CONSTRUCTION work has started on building Monmouthshire's first stand-alone McDonald's restaurant on the outskirts of Abergavenny.

It is expected that the restaurant will will be open for Christmas.

The restaurant is being built on land at Westgate, just off Merthyr Road, at Llanfoist, adjacent to the A465 Heads of the Valley Road.

McDonald's is already advertising locally to fill the estimated 65 positions which will be created at the new restaurant.

The seated and drive-through restaurant, a mile from the centre of Abergavenny, will be served by 37 parking spaces.

McDonald's says it is unlikely that there will be an issue of noise, given that the new restaurant is next to the A465. Special extraction and odour controlling equipment will be introduced as part of the scheme.

A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “We can confirm that work is under way for a new restaurant in Abergavenny with completion due towards the end of the year. This new opening will create at least 65 new jobs and provide significant investment for the local community.”

James Crawford, chief executive of Pontypool-based property development business Johnsey Estates, which sold McDonald's the land, said: “It’s very encouraging that work on the new McDonald's has started at this important site on the Heads of the Valleys trunk road.

“The development will provide many valuable local jobs during the construction of the restaurant and on completion when the facility is open.”

Johnsey Estates is the developer behind the overall scheme. The company sold three acres of land to Persimmon Homes and having recently completed the infrastructure to the site, will shortly be concluding sales of other plots of land in line with the planning consents granted for an hotel and a drive-through café. Additionally a planning application for a care home on the next phase was recently lodged with Monmouthshire County Council.