Case study from Tower Hamlets: Good practice in implementing a healthier food advertising policy

To ensure robust implementation of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets’ healthier advertising policy, the council has established a dedicated Healthier Advertising Policy Oversight Group.

This cross-council group is led by Public Health and meets quarterly to monitor progress, discuss implementation strategies, and address any emerging challenges. The Public Health team is also working closely with the Highways and Transport team, responsible for managing all contracts, and the Legal team to integrate the new advertising policy into new contracts through a clear tender process. Once the new advertising contracts are in place, the council will require advertising companies to submit their content quarterly for compliance verification. A non-compliance policy has been agreed upon and is ready for enforcement if necessary. In addition, a comprehensive mapping exercise is underway to map all advertising locations in the borough and identify new opportunities for healthier advertising.

The council has published a healthier advertising policy webpage on the council’s website, providing key policy information for businesses and residents. Concurrently, the council is delivering a communications plan to ensure that key partners are reminded of the policy and its requirements. The healthier advertising policy annual review, scheduled for completion in September, is enabling the council to scrutinise and refine the policy, ensuring its continued effectiveness and alignment with best practice as set out by Sustain. A dedicated email address for the policy has been established, enabling residents and businesses to easily contact the council for any policy-related assistance or inquiries. Finally, in partnership with Sustain, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets helps coordinate the Healthier Advertising Policy Implementation Group, open to all councils who have adopted the policy, to share learning.