New data shows number of fast food outlets in England has increased by 4,000 since 2014, sparking fears that councils are losing battle to limit obesity levels

The total number of takeaway food shops in England has risen by 4,000 in the past three years, an increase of 8%, sparking fears that councils are losing the battle to limit obesity levels via planning rules that restrict new fast food outlets.

According to new figures provided to the Guardian by Cambridge University’s Centre for Diet and Activity Research (Cedar), there are now 56,638 takeaways in England – more than a quarter of all the country’s food outlets – with some of the heaviest concentrations of fast food found in England’s poorest and most deprived neighbourhoods.



“The junk food and sugary drinks sold by these outlets make an important contribution to the UK epidemic of obesity and diabetes,” said Professor Simon Capewell, vice-president for policy at the UK’s Faculty of Public Health. “Furthermore, the much greater density of fast food outlets in deprived neighbourhoods exacerbates existing, substantial inequalities in health. These trends are very worrying.”

The data also indicates a possible north-south divide in takeaway access. Of the 30 council areas where takeaways are the predominant kind of food outlet, 25 are in economically deprived areas of the north, with notable clusters in the north-west.

In Blackburn with Darwen, 38% of all food retail outlets are given over to fast food – the highest proportion in England – against a national average of 26%. Blackburn has 236 takeaways in all, an increase of 24% since 2014, and equivalent to one takeaway shop for every 625 people.



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The figures will alarm policymakers concerned about rising levels of obesity and related illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes. Researchers have shown a link between increased exposure to fast food outlets, increased consumption of high-fat nutrient-poor food, higher body weight and greater risk of obesity.



“Despite the health impact of the obesity epidemic being well known, it is shocking that the number of fast food takeaways is increasing,” said Caroline Cerny, of the Obesity Health Alliance. “Whether it’s the marketing of junk food on billboards and TV, or the proximity of junk food outlets to schools, we know our environment has a huge impact on levels of overweightness and obesity.”

Nearly two-thirds of adults (63%) and a third of children aged two to 15 are obese or overweight, according to Public Health England. Obesity causes more than 30,000 deaths a year, and increases the risk of health conditions such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Treating obesity costs the NHS £6bn a year, a figure expected to rise £10bn by 2050.



“Our high streets are increasingly saturated with takeaways and food on the go, causing an over-consumption of cheap, unhealthy food and drinks,” said Dr Alison Tedstone, Public Health England’s chief nutritionist. “Local authorities and the food and drink industry all have a role to play in creating an environment that encourages healthier options – including tackling the number of takeaways and the quality of food they sell, especially among our most disadvantaged communities.”



The takeaway figures are drawn from Cedar’s new Food Environment Assessment Tool (Feat). Based on Ordnance Survey data, for the first time it enables users to map, measure and monitor access to a range of different types of food outlet – including takeaways, supermarkets and cafes – across the whole of England, at local authority, council ward and postcode level.



“The data show stark differences in access to takeaway food outlets, not only across the country and between local authorities, but even within individual towns and cities,” said Tom Burgoine, a researcher at Cedar. “Feat’s detailed maps reveal for the first time these differences in food access, which research indicates are related to diet and health.”

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Takeaways are defined by Feat as food outlets where hot food is ordered and paid for at the till, with no waiter service and limited or no sit-in option. It includes bakeries, such as Greggs, as well as well-known brands more obviously associated with fast food, such as KFC and McDonald’s, and local independent takeaways.



Many of the 326 local authorities mapped have seen striking increases in the number of takeaways between 2014-17, with 20 recording rises of more than 20%. Only 40 councils (12%) have seen the number of fast food outlets fall or stay the same.



Although the north has heavy concentrations of fast food, Feat shows that some of the most rapid takeaway growth over the past three years was in relatively affluent home county areas in the south east. South Cambridgeshire, which also has pockets of deprivation, has recorded the biggest percentage increase in takeaways, up 31% to 50 outlets, and has seen the biggest growth in takeaways as a percentage of all food shops.

High-profile battles

Since 2010, more than 20 councils in England have introduced planning regulations aimed at limiting the expansion of the takeaway sector locally on health grounds, including the imposition of 400m fast food exclusion zones around schools. NHS public health officials have recommended all councils consider adopting similar rules as a part of local obesity reduction initiatives.



But according to Professor Capewell: “Though many councils might wish to exercise planning restrictions on health grounds, they are constrained by the major, ongoing budget cuts imposed by central government. Councils are then put in an impossible position by being expected to maximise income from business rates, including promoting businesses that sell unhealthy commodities.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest McDonald’s have been involved in two recent high-profile planning disputes with local councils. Photograph: Teri Pengilley/The Guardian

The new planning regulations have been central to several high-profile battles to block fast food chains opening new outlets. In 2016, McDonald’s withdrew controversial plans to open a new drive-through branch in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, when it became clear it would fall foul of planning rules drawn up by the city council preventing new takeaways opening near schools.



In June, the burger chain successfully overturned a decision by Bristol City council to block a new drive-through in the Fishponds area of the city, despite a fierce campaign by local residents. Although the proposed new outlet was near a school, it was deemed to be a few metres outside the 400m fast food exclusion zone imposed by city planners.

Across the country, Feat suggests many of the councils that have introduced planning restrictions have struggled to limit the growth of fast food outlets. Bradford City council, which imposed planning restrictions in 2014, has seen takeaway numbers leap from 606 to 733 in three years, a 20% increase. Some 36% of food retail outlets in the borough are occupied by fast food, up three percentage points in three years.

A spokesperson for Bradford council said: “Since the local authority brought in a planning restriction of no takeaways within 400m of a school in November 2014, the council has refused over 40 applications for takeaways that would have flouted this restriction.

“We are mindful of balancing the need for businesses to thrive with the drive to promote healthy eating, which is why we have worked over the last three years with takeaway outlets to reduce the salt, fat and calorie content in their meals. We have also suggested they offer smaller portions alongside the standard portions, and to offer water as an alternative to sugary drinks.”

Warrington, Birmingham and Gateshead, which also have planning regulations in place, have all seen double-digit increases in takeaway numbers – whereas Islington and Medway have successfully kept a lid on fast food outlets, according to the data.

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Gateshead council said there have been no new hot food takeaways in the borough since it introduced planning rules limiting them in 2015, and that it had subsequently refused four applications. This policy applies only to takeaways with a planning classification of “A5”, however – which does not, unlike the wider Feat definition, cover Greggs bakeries (classed as A1), or McDonald’s and KFC, which as restaurants with takeaway capacity are classified as A3.



Such variation in classifications has prompted calls for more all-encompassing planning definitions. According to Martin Caraher, professor of food policy at City, University of London: “There needs to be a more dynamic public health presence in the planning system, to take into account all kinds of ‘food on the go’ in our towns and cities – not just narrowly-defined, planning-usage definitions of ‘fast food’.”

Typical takeaway foods are high in calories, fat and saturated fat. A single portion of fried chicken and chips, fish and chips or pizza might contain 900-1,200 calories, with significant variations in calorie content between outlets. Studies have shown that customers significantly underestimate the calorific content of takeaway meals; the recommended daily intake of an adult male is around 2,500 calories, and 2,000 for an adult female.

Are you worried about the large number of fast food outlets in your area? Take our fast food survey, or email us at inequality.project@theguardian.com