Newcastle Council Cracks Down on Opening of New Hot Food Takeaway Establishments
Authorities emphasize the need for strict measures to enable individuals to opt for healthier food and drink choices.
Newcastle Council has strengthened regulations on the location of new takeaway establishments to combat “unhealthy lifestyles.”
Approved on Monday, the policy aims to restrict the opening of new takeaways amidst the rising levels of obesity.
Planners will now refrain from granting approval to hot food takeaways within a 400m radius or a 10-minute walk from schools, parks, and community centers.
This measure is intended to address unhealthy lifestyles by regulating the placement of hot food takeaways, with the goal of promoting healthier food and beverage choices.
Obese
This initiative targets areas where over 10% of Year 6 students are obese and where the number of approved hot food takeaways would exceed the national average per 1,000 population.
Newcastle ranks as the 74th most deprived authority out of 317 in the country, but the council noted significant disparities in deprivation levels across the city.
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The council projects a rise in obesity rates, particularly affecting children in socioeconomically deprived areas who are twice as likely to be overweight/obese compared to their counterparts in less deprived areas.
A spokesperson for Newcastle Council referred to a statement by Alice Wiseman, the director of Public Health for Newcastle, stressing the influence of the environment on food choices and highlighting the negative health impact of high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar options typically found in hot food takeaways.
The council’s goal is to promote healthier eating habits and active lifestyles through various interventions, including regulating the food environment to address weight-related issues.
“Planning plays a vital role in creating healthy communities, exemplified by this initiative to combat obesity,” the spokesperson stated.
The council acknowledged the economic benefits of hot food takeaways but also recognized their potential adverse effects on residents’ well-being and the environment due to their unhealthy food offerings.
Climate Change
Newcastle Council, which declared a “climate emergency” in April 2019, reviewed the fast food report and found no major implications for climate change.
Local authorities are increasingly implementing bans on high-carbon advertisements to support net zero goals.
This ban includes advertisements for airlines, airports, cars, cruise ships, and fossil fuel companies in Edinburgh with the aim of influencing consumer behavior towards more sustainable choices.
While the council refrained from banning meat advertisements, citing potential controversy, they are committed to promoting environmentally friendly practices and combatting climate change.
