MACDONALDS manager Dave Williamson hopes ambitious plans to refurbish and extend the Chippenham burger restaurant will transform it from being one of the ugliest in the country.

A planning application was submitted to North Wiltshire District Council this week.

If it goes ahead, the restaurant's seating capacity will rise from 55 to 88.

It will have a new roof, plus an extended car park and restaurant area at a cost of a £250,000.

"With the best will in the world I think the restaurant was designed too small to start with," said Mr Williamson.

"In many respects it has done a disservice to the people of Chippenham in its inability to seat existing customers and I want to put right that wrong. I think it's fair to say Chippenham has the ugliest MacDonalds in the country."

The application is expected to come before a development control committee in February.