Local authorities across England are facing increasing pressure to address the health impacts of the local food environment, particularly the growing concentration of hot food takeaways in areas already experiencing poor health outcomes.
Introduction
Local authorities across England are facing increasing pressure to address the health impacts of the local food environment, particularly the growing concentration of hot food takeaways in areas already experiencing poor health outcomes.
Rising rates of adult and child obesity underline the urgency: in 2023–24, 64.5 per cent of adults in England were overweight or living with obesity, and obesity continues to be strongly patterned by deprivation. Children in deprived communities are not only exposed to more takeaways but are also twice as likely to develop obesity by age five, with research showing there can be up to five times more fast‑food outlets in these neighbourhoods.
In response to these growing challenges, the Local Government Association has developed this resource to support councils in using their planning, public‑health and place‑shaping powers to create healthier environments. Councils are uniquely placed to take coordinated action, particularly following the 2024 update to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which now requires planning authorities to “prioritise preventing ill‑health” and provides stronger national backing to refuse new hot food takeaway applications near schools or in areas where existing concentrations are harming health.
However, councils must also navigate the realities of the planning system, including the role of the Planning Inspectorate. Evidence shows that strengthened Local Plan policies, high‑quality local health data, and clear justification are key to defending refusal decisions at appeal.
This resource brings together the latest research, case studies, national guidance, and practical tools to help local authorities make robust, evidence‑based decisions that protect public health and support healthier, more resilient communities.
We also want this compendium to continue growing. If your authority has developed a recent SPD, Local Plan policy, health-led planning approach, or case study, particularly those aligned with the strengthened NPPF, please share them so we can include further examples and support collective sector learning. Contact [email protected]
Sustain (SUSTAIN)
Planning Controls for Hot Food Takeaways (Sustain, 2021)
Summary:
This briefing helps councils and public health teams understand how planning can be used to improve the local food environment by controlling hot food takeaway proliferation. It explains how unhealthy food availability contributes to obesogenic environments, especially for children. The report highlights examples of councils using local plan policies and supplementary planning documents (SPDs) to restrict takeaway clustering near schools, and it emphasises the importance of integrating planning with broader healthy eating strategies.
Contribution to councils:
Sustain’s work is widely used by local authorities developing SPDs and Local Plan policies, offering practical examples and a public‑health rationale for planning controls.
Managing Takeaways Near Schools: A Toolkit for Local Authorities (2024)
Summary:
This toolkit provides practical, evidence‑based guidance for councils looking to introduce or strengthen Takeaway Management Zones (TMZs), particularly around schools. It draws on the latest NIHR‑funded research, developed in partnership with seven universities, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, and multiple local authorities.
Contribution to councils:
This Sustain toolkit complements local planning guidance by providing hands‑on, operational advice for adopting and delivering takeaway management zones. It also aligns strongly with the strengthened 2024 NPPF, which now requires planning authorities to prioritise preventing ill‑health when assessing hot food takeaway proposals.
Obesity Health Alliance (OHA)
Empowering Communities to Promote Health: Stopping New Hot Food Takeaways from Targeting Children (2024)
Summary:
This report outlines new planning reforms empowering councils to refuse takeaway applications near schools or in areas where concentrations harm health. It details how the NPPF now gives explicit authority to prioritise “preventing ill‑health” in planning decisions. The report summarises research showing that children in deprived areas face much higher exposure to takeaways and are more likely to develop obesity early in life.
Contribution to councils:
The OHA provides national advocacy evidence, useful in communicating the social‑justice rationale for restrictions on takeaways.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID)
Obesity Profile: Short Statistical Commentary (May 2025)
Summary:
This update provides the most recent adult obesity figures: 64.5 per cent of adults are overweight or obese. It highlights inequalities across deprivation levels, gender, and age. It reinforces that obesity is linked to chronic disease and high healthcare costs, requiring upstream action.
Contribution to councils:
Councils can use this data as part of the local evidence base for justifying restrictions due to local health needs.
Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA)
Restricting the Appeal and Availability of Junk Food (TCPA & APSE, 2025)
Summary:
This report examines the role of planning in controlling unhealthy food environments, highlighting case studies of councils restricting takeaway numbers. It assesses whether 2024 NPPF reforms will aid councils and argues for a “precautionary principle.”
Contribution to councils:
This is a key national report demonstrating the planning system’s potential in reducing exposure to unhealthy food outlets.
Planning for Healthy Places: A Practical Guide for Embedding Health in Local Plans (2024)
Summary
This technical guide, developed by the TCPA, University of Bristol and UWE for use by local authorities, provides detailed advice on embedding health considerations directly into Local Plans. It responds to evidence that, although Local Plans have significant potential to shape healthy environments, they are often inconsistent in how health is addressed. The document outlines clear frameworks, evidence sources, and examples of adopted policies that councils can apply immediately.
Contribution to Councils
The guide supports planning and public health teams by offering a structured, practical method for integrating health across universal, policy and implementation phases of plan making. It also provides examples from councils that have successfully embedded health, and it includes webinars, templates and signposting to national evidence, helping councils build confidence and capability in preparing health focused plans.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Reform
NPPF Reforms (Food Active, 2024)
Summary:
Confirms national policy changes requiring refusal of HFT applications near schools and raising public‑health considerations within planning decisions.
Hansard: NPPF Fast Food Outlets Debate (Oct 2024)
Summary:
This parliamentary debate discusses national approaches to regulating takeaways and explores how councils can be better empowered to improve public health through planning.
Planning Inspectorate – Appeals and Decision Making
Regulatory Mechanisms to Create Healthier Environments: Planning Appeals and HFTs (NIHR, 2023)
Summary:
Based on interviews with planners, public‑health professionals, and the Planning Inspectorate, this research examines why appeals succeed or fail. It identifies factors such as strong Local Plan policies, robust data, and political backing as crucial.
Contribution to councils:
Offers direct insight into how to structure planning decisions to survive appeal.
NIHR Takeaway Management Zones and Planning Policy
Managing Takeaways Near Schools (NIHR, 2024)
Summary:
This toolkit synthesises high‑quality evidence on Takeaway Management Zones (TMZs), showing they reduce outlet numbers, have community support, and benefit health without harming local economies.
How Local Authorities Can Reduce HFT Spread (NIHR SPHR, 2023)
Summary:
Explains the relationship between SPDs, Local Plans, planning appeals, and how councils can craft robust planning frameworks.
Heliyon (Michael Chang et al.)
Planning Guidance to Limit Hot Food Takeaways (Heliyon, 2024)
Summary:
A large multi‑institution academic study summarising the economic impacts of takeaway management zones. It highlights both potential concerns (e.g., reduced employment) and long‑term benefits (improved health, reduced NHS costs).
CEDAR – Leading UK Food Environment Research
Takeaway Planning Policy Evidence (Burgoine, CEDAR)
Summary:
This research shows robust associations between takeaway exposure and diet, including:
- Higher takeaway density → higher calorie intake
- Areas of lower socioeconomic status face greater exposure
- One of the UK’s most comprehensive evidence reviews.
BMJ Editorial on Takeaway Exposure (Burgoine et al.)
Summary:
This editorial summarises research showing takeaway exposure increases BMI and takeaway consumption, especially when exposure occurs near workplaces or commuting routes.
Evaluation of Planning Policy (NIHR Protocol, Burgoine)
Summary:
This protocol outlines ongoing evaluation of school‑based takeaway exclusion zones, providing methodological foundations for future evidence.
Local Studies (Liverpool, NE England)
Liverpool Takeaway Consumption Study (LJMU)
Summary:
A large survey in Liverpool found takeaways are more frequently consumed by 18–34 year‑olds and strongly associated with higher BMI. Motivations included convenience and preference for taste.
Fuse/Teesside University – Impact of New Takeaway Near Schools
Summary:
Opening a new fast‑food outlet increased visits by 11–16‑year‑olds, demonstrating strong behavioural sensitivity to proximity.
Local Government Association publications
Tipping the scales (Local Government Association, 2016)
Summary:
Tipping the scales presents a collection of case studies showcasing how councils across England are using planning powers to limit the growth of hot food takeaways as part of a wider approach to tackling unhealthy weight. The publication highlights England’s persistently high rates of obesity and emphasises the need for environmental interventions that reduce easy access to energy‑dense foods.
Contribution to councils
This LGA resource provides councils with practical insight into how planning levers can be used to influence the local food environment and support public health objectives. It complements statutory planning frameworks by illustrating how local authorities have interpreted national guidance to adopt restrictive policies on hot food takeaways—particularly around schools and areas with high childhood obesity.
Empowering Healthy Places: Unveiling the Powers and Practices of Local Councils in Fostering Healthy Neighbourhoods (2024)
Summary
This LGA guide provides a unified, practical overview of the powers available to councils across planning, public health and environmental health to create healthier neighbourhoods. It highlights how the built environment shapes physical activity, diet, travel patterns, social connectivity and wider wellbeing, and emphasises the growing recognition, nationally and locally, of the role of place in preventing illness and promoting healthier lives. The report brings together evidence, regulatory context, and four detailed case studies (including East Sussex, Sheffield, Liverpool City Region and Southampton) to demonstrate how councils are proactively embedding health into local planning and neighbourhood design. It positions healthy placemaking as a route not only to improved health outcomes but also to productivity, resilience and good growth.
Contribution to councils
This guide supports councils by clarifying the specific mechanisms, planning powers, regulatory levers, design principles and cross-sector partnerships, that can be used to shape healthier environments. It builds on earlier work such as Developing Healthy Places and aims to empower authorities to maximise existing statutory tools to reduce health inequalities and improve both new and existing neighbourhoods.
Planning Advisory Service (PAS) resource
Planning Advisory Service (PAS): Local Plan Route Mapper & Toolkit
Summary
PAS’ Local Plan Route Mapper & Toolkit gives councils a structured, step by step approach to preparing, reviewing and delivering Local Plans. It provides practical tools for project management, evidence gathering, consultation and examination, supporting Local Planning Authorities through every stage of the plan making process.
Contribution to Councils
This resource strengthens Local Plans by ensuring they are robust, evidence based and aligned with national reforms, including digital planning expectations. PAS also offers hands on support, “critical friend” reviews, and topic specific guidance such as sustainability appraisal, community engagement, and monitoring, helping councils integrate health objectives systematically within the wider plan making process.
Public Health England resources
Health Impact Assessment in Spatial Planning (Public Health England, 2020)
Summary
This guide supports local authority public health and planning teams to incorporate Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) into both Local Plans and planning applications. It explains when and how HIAs should be undertaken, how to scope them, and how to integrate them with other assessments such as SEA, SA and EIA.
Contribution to Councils
HIAs give councils a structured way to assess and improve the health outcomes of planning decisions. The guide provides templates, triggers, examples of local HIA policies, and frameworks for integrating health more systematically into development decisions—helping councils create healthier environments and reduce health inequalities.
PHE Healthy Places (2021)
Summary
Public Health England’s Healthy Places programme outlined how the built and natural environment can support health through planning, housing, transport, green space and neighbourhood design. It summarises the public health evidence base and sets out the role of built environment professionals in improving health outcomes.
Contribution to Councils
Although PHE no longer exists, the programme produced an evidence hub, supporting councils to adopt a “health in all policies” approach. It strengthens cross government working and provides practical tools, advocacy and resources that councils can use to inform planning policy, infrastructure decisions and place shaping activities.