What makes Gateshead Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document robust?

• the National Planning Policy Framework
• the Planning Practice Guidance
• other national policy and strategies, for example, from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the government white paper

The Supplementary Planning Document is also strengthened by addressing local issues, demonstrated through reference to relevant policies within:

• the Local Plan
• the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Gateshead
• the Gateshead Council strategic approach to healthy weight and their 2030 transformation programme

Other strengths of this guidance include its foundations on robust evidence:

• Sets out obesity in a national and local context, supported by prevalence data from the Health Survey for England and National Child Measurement Programme
• Data is used effectively. For example, the number of takeaways per 1000 people is provided per ward, with rates compared to the national average
• Draws on previous evidence from a study of nutrient data in Gateshead of independent takeaways, which evidence concerns around the nutrient content and portion sizes of meals sold from these food outlets
• The academic literature is used to good effect to present associations between hot food takeaways and obesity, with a particular focus on associations in school-aged children

The guidance itself is unambiguous, accessible, and easy to understand. For example, clarification for terms which are open to interpretation has been provided. For instance, parks are defined as an open space which is over 2 hectares in size. Consideration has also been given to the monitoring of the guidance.