A high street McDonald's plans to shut for more than a month amid the company's £250 million nationwide upgrade.

If plans are approved by the council, the fast food store in Chatham High Street will close its doors in mid-January for the revamp.

This will include the introduction of a takeaway entrance at the shop front to separate the dine-in customers and couriers for a more efficient and comfortable experience.

A McDonald's spokesman said the company hopes the work will be completed in March. While renovation takes place, the crew will be moved to other local restaurants.

The reimage is part of the chain's Convenience of the Future programme, which was announced in May of this year. The project will see 800 conversions of its stores in the UK and Ireland over four years.

Changes to the Chatham store will also see the introduction of a new customer lift, the accessible bathroom moved to the first floor, and a new service lift to accommodate table service on the first floor.

Other renovations include a full refurbishment to the kitchen and the staff room. The kitchen will have a bigger order assembly area with dedicated areas for delivery and dine in orders.

The company cited a rise in delivery as a reason for the upgrades across its stores, with approximately half of its sales now going through digital channels including McDelivery, mobile, and its in-store self-order screens.

This comes as Strood's 24-hour drive-thru closed its doors earlier this month for similar renovations, with hopes that the separation of couriers and customers, would create a more efficient experience and improve working conditions for staff.

The store in Commercial Road shut on Sunday, October 2, and is expected to reopen on November 9.

In Greenhithe, a store which has been shut for months will reopen on December 8 with a new drive-thru.

The change has brought about concerns from local residents, including Dartford councillor Kelly Grehan, who worried that the cars using the branch would add to the issue of air quality in an area already facing considerable pollution.