Day 071 - 11 Jan 95 - Page 07

     
     1        a business rate to the Local Authority, do you?
     2        A.  Yes, we do.
     3
     4   Q.   Why is it that you declined to use the Local Authority
     5        rubbish collection service for which you have paid?
     6        A.  I believe for commercial premises that the business
     7        rate does not include rubbish collection.
     8
     9   Q.   It does not?
    10        A.  No.  That is what I believe myself, because all
    11        McDonald's pay for a private contractor to pick up their
    12        environment/index.html">litter.
    13
    14   Q.   Why does it matter to McDonald's whether or not their
    15        rubbish is picked up in its plastic bags from outside the
    16        shop in an efficient and regular way?
    17        A.  Because there is seepage from environment/index.html">litter bags, however
    18        thick the plastic on the bags.  So it would dirty
    19        pavement outside the restaurant.  Also, the bags may have
    20        to be dragged to the trash carts and this can cause seepage
         on to the pavement.  Also, there is a possible vermin
    22        problem if you left rubbish outside the restaurants too
    23        long, and also for the local community is not very nice to
    24        have rubbish sitting outside your restaurant.
    25
    26   Q.   This may seem an infantile and obvious question, Mr. Stump,
    27        and I beg your pardon for asking it, but why should it
    28        matter to McDonald's whether or not the bags leak on to the
    29        pavement?
    30        A.  Well, we want to create a positive image in the
    31        community.  We do not want to be seen not to care about the
    32        local residents or the people that use Kings Road for
    33        shopping.  It is not a very pleasant -- as an individual
    34        myself, it is not very pleasant to see rubbish left outside
    35        in the road for hours on end.
    36
    37   Q.   Is that just a PR stunt or do you actually care?
    38        A.  No, we do actually care.  I do want to run a business
    39        but I also want to run a business in the community.  One of
    40        the McDonald's philosophies was you cannot operate in a
         community unless you are willing to put something back into
    42        that community.  We employ people from the local
    43        community.  People from the local community use our
    44        business, so it is not in our interest to upset those
    45        people.
    46
    47   Q.   I am going to come to it later on, Mr. Stump.  You have had
    48        (and one can argue, will argue, how significant it has
    49        been) some problems with or, if you prefer, complaints from
    50        certain members of the local resident community, have you 
    51        not? 
    52        A.  Yes, we have. 
    53
    54   Q.   Perhaps nobody is going to disagree that the area in which
    55        this restaurant is situated is both a busy and quite a
    56        grand shopping area, right?
    57        A.  Yes, it is.
    58
    59   Q.   It is also a fairly posh residential area, is it?
    60        A.  Yes.