It's now 96 days since the planning application to build Rutland's first McDonald's fast-food restaurant in Oakham was submitted to Rutland County Council.

And today (Weds), the local authority told Oakham Nub News that it is currently 'unable to confirm' when the application will be determined - but it will not be at the next planning committee meeting on 24 September. The next scheduled meeting is on 22 October.

The application for the outlet and drive-thru off Lands End Way was submitted on 7 June and validated by the county council the same day.

The Government requires that once a planning application has been validated a decision should be made 'as quickly as possible' and within statutory time limits.

These are usually 13 weeks for applications for major development and 16 weeks if an application is subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment.

However, a longer period can be agreed with the applicant.

A Rutland County Council spokesman told Oakham Nub News: "Consultation is still ongoing around the planning application.

"There are no shortcuts when dealing with major planning applications and it is common for applications such as this to exceed normal, predetermined timescales.

"Mutually agreed extensions of time are permitted as part of the statutory planning process, to make sure applicants have every opportunity to provide planning officers with the required level of information and make any amendments to their proposals that may be necessary.

"We are unable to confirm when this application will be determined by our planning committee until the consultation process is complete and all the necessary information has been received and properly considered by planning officers."

There are currently 111 individual documents filed online in relation to the application - ranging from residents' views on the development to reports on highways, drainage, ecology and archaeology as well as acoustic and badger surveys.

Back in May, days before a public consultation event organised by McDonald's in Oakham, Rutland County Council warned that the company would have to overcome a number of statutory hurdles before being given the go-ahead to build a new restaurant.

A spokesman told Oakham Nub News at the time: "If a planning application is received it will need to be assessed against national planning guidance and the council's own adopted planning policies.

"This would also require a statutory planning consultation asking members of the public and other interested groups to give their views."