End of week summary

This week we’ve considered the links between proliferation of unhealthy food outlets and prevalence of obesity and overweight as well as how planning and other complementary measures can be used to promote healthier food environments. We’ve identified guidance documents and toolkits to support local action and highlighted how collaborative approaches can be developed, including with elected members who can play a key role in ‘championing’ strategies.

Call to action

• Implement supplementary planning document guidance or policies to specifically address the health-impact, and wider impacts, of less healthy establishments such as hot food takeaways. This can include introducing planning measures, such as school exclusion zones, to restrict the proliferation of less healthy establishments
• The evidence base for joint Strategic Needs Assessment should be used to underpin planning policy designed to promote healthier food environments
• Join up public health strategies with planning to support decisions on planning applications, and the defence against appeals and objections during the local plan examination by the Planning Inspectorate
• Use complementary non-planning guidance such as Public Health England’s ‘Strategies for encouraging healthier out of home food provision’ to support local councils and independent food businesses to develop healthier food options outside of the home
• Collaborate and build mutual respect with elected members who can play a key role in ‘championing’ strategies