FAST food giant McDonald's has finally confirmed its intention to open a store in Hexham and bring jobs to the area.

Anticipation has been building ever since a developer on behalf of the burger specialists submitted an application last October, for a McDonald's outlet to be included as part of a wider development at the town's former 'Bunker' site, just off Alemouth Road.

Last week, Northumberland County Council confirmed that the application, for a 110-seat restaurant and drive-through outlet, remained "live".

And now McDonald's has finally broken its silence over the plans.

A spokeswoman for the world renowned eatery said: "We are working in conjunction with the developer to progress the planning application and we are working through design aspects so it can progress to the committee.

"We are hopeful that the application will be approved to bring local jobs to the area."

If it comes to fruition, the burger outlet will be part of a major scheme which is already in progress.

Work is under way to create 250 much-needed car parking spaces at the site, which will stand alongside a 69-bedroom Travelodge hotel and Lidl store, while there will be significant work on the highways infrastructure to create a new access into the site from the existing roundabout off Alemouth Road.

The scheme is set to bring multiple jobs to the Tyne Valley, boost tourism, and provide much needed parking spaces for visitors and workers in Hexham. Northumberland County Council has worked with developer Union Property Services Ltd to bring forward the scheme for the large site, which has stood abandoned since its days as a nuclear bunker in the 1980s, and is now being handed a new lease of life.