What are the key learnings from the Gateshead Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document

Collaboration between planning and public health

• Valuable to have the local authority director on the Health and Wellbeing Board as this meant a high level of involvement in writing the health and wellbeing strategy
• Establishing working relationships between public health and planning teams is essential. This helps any queries to be answered in a timely manner

Bringing the evidence together

• Being conscious of planning terms being used ‘loosely’ within the evidence-base, for instance, referring to ‘takeaways’ or ‘fast food outlets’ rather than just those cases that fall into sui generis
• Critical to translate the public health-related evidence base into planning terms, to ensure it could be user friendly for a planning inspector at appeal
• Consideration for any gaps in the evidence, as this would be open for scrutiny by the planning inspector at appeal

Key successes

• Since the supplementary planning document was adopted, there were no new hot food takeaways (A5 uses) approved in Gateshead
• Appeals for planning permission of new hot food takeaways were dismissed (that is, permission was not granted to the hot food takeaway business)
• In drafting the supplementary planning document, the Economic Development team were consulted due to concerns around restricting businesses opening. However, they were content with restricting hot food takeaways since they did not add to the vitality of local centres, are usually closed during the day, and associated with antisocial behaviour
• Annual surveys of local centres and town centres have not suggested that restrictions on hot food takeaways have led to an increase in shop vacancy rates