Sustain joins call to Prime Minister to enable healthier local food environments

Sustain is pleased to join 88 leading health charities, campaign groups, medical royal colleges, local organisations and the thousands of healthcare professionals, patients, and citizens in signing an open letter to the Prime Minister, co-ordinated by the Obesity Health Alliance.

The letter, co-signed by Sustain CEO Kath Dalmeny, has been sent as the Government consults on changes to the national planning framework, including ways to empower local councils to build healthier environments - including managing the number of hot food takeaways close to schools. 

Sustain has long advocated for planning policies that enable healthier, active local communities and reduce health inequalities. Sustain's hot food takeaways report looks at how councils across England are using their planning powers to tackle the predominance of hot food takeaways and the challenges of tackling long term health issues. We also believe that the Government could do more to empower local councils to implement healthier advertising policies, and expanding national regulations to include outdoor advertising spaces, not just TV and online media.  Since 2019, Sustain has been working with local governments including the Mayor of London  to champion children’s health by setting the stage for healthier food across their advertising estates. 

The letter supports the National Planning Policy Framework’s increased focus on ensuring better health and reducing obesity, including by restricting new unhealthy hot food takeaways within 400m of schools and other children's hubs.

It draws attention to a new OHA position statement on how government can enable more action at local level to create healthier food environments. This includes: 

• Using planning policy to making healthier places a priority 
• Restricting outdoor advertising to allow only healthier food and drink options
• Shielding local authorities from powerful commercial influences
• Restoring the Public Health Grant with a £1.5 billion uplift
• Supporting the creation of Local Food Partnerships, and improving local food procurement systems
• Ensuring the full, supportive, delivery of the National Child Measurement Programme

Katharine Jenner, Director of the Obesity Health Alliance, says:

“Every child deserves access to affordable, convenient, and nutritious food. However, high streets are flooded with unhealthy food and drink options, aggressively marketed in ways that limit free choice. Since 2016, the number of children and young adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has increased by nearly 40%, fueled by rising levels of excess weight. Successfully implementing the government’s Child Health Action Plan would be a significant achievement, with the essential first step of giving local places the power to create healthier, active local communities for our children.”

Barbara Crowther, Children’s Food Campaign Manager adds:

"At the moment our high streets and public spaces are deluged with unhealthy advertising, with a proliferation of unhealthy hot food takeaways, especially in less affluent urban areas. There is a huge opportunity to create a synergy between national government policy on advertising, planning and public health and local council and community powers to build positive food partnerships, healthier food environments and increase access to healthy, affordable and appealing food and drink. The new Obesity Health Alliance position statement lays out opportunities for the new Government to devolve more power and resources to regions and communities, and create the active, healthier food neighbourhoods we all want our children to grow up in."  

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