Published Tuesday 25 July 2017 at 16:07
Blackburn with Darwen Council has issued the following response to a Guardian article published today (July 25) reporting on the number of takeaway shops in the borough.
Dominic Harrison, Director of Public Health, said:
We fully acknowledge people’s concerns and are working hard to strike the correct balance of fast food outlets in the borough.
We work with many of these businesses to provide healthier menu options via our Recipe for Health scheme. We have also recently launched a strategy with health, community and voluntary sector partners and signed a local authority declaration on healthy weight to actively contain the rising tide of obesity in children and adults through active promotion of healthy eating work and physical activity, including cycling and walking.
We’ve also taken steps to amend the planning process to help us restrict applications where necessary – which led to one being refused last year. But our planning guidance has to reflect national rules as well.”
The increased availability of high sugar and high fat products targeted at children is a growing challenge. It’s vital we send a message to let children and young people be free to choose their food and stop promoting sugar products in a way that makes their choices the opposite of ‘free’.