Why Barnsley Council is right to stop takeaway from opening in Darfield - Jayne Dowle

Council officials have ruled that this new fast-food outlet, part of a former school site on Nanny Marr Road, would not have been conducive to improving health and obesity rates across the borough, and in particular, in the village itself which has the highest reported rate of childhood obesity and severe obesity in the town; almost a quarter (24 per cent) of Year Six children fall into this dangerous category.

The planning report states: “Adding an additional takeaway in this location does not diversify the local food offer and is contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework, which states, ‘planning decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places which enable and support healthy lifestyles’.”

The applicant had also provided insufficient information to assess the impact on traffic, added the report.

I was fascinated by this decision, which no doubt will be challenged by those who upheld their right to scoff burgers, chips, kebabs and the rest whenever and wherever they like, because it comes on the back of a major announcement on tackling bad eating habits that didn’t receive the coverage it should have back in June.

Barnsley became the first town in the UK to ban adverts for ‘junk foods’ high in fat, salt and sugar at council-owned sites such as museums and libraries. Chocolate, burgers, soft drinks, cakes, sweets and pizzas are all outlawed.

The food charity Sustain, which advised the council on how to implement the controversial policy, said similar strategies had been introduced in cities including London and Bristol.

I’m very proud of Barnsley for being such a pioneer. As a local resident, I have been moaning about the proliferation of takeaways and fast-food outlets for decades now.

I’ve heard all the arguments in favour. I know that especially in tough economic times, any business is a good business as long as it pays its business rates. And this, as many a councillor has pointed out to me, is one of the reasons why former shopping thoroughfares are lined with neon lights and large lumps of dripping meat turning on spits in the window.

Whilst we’d all love artisan bakeries and organic greengrocers, pragmatism - and the council’s coffers - have had to come first.

And people do have to make a living, I concede that. Obviously, if there wasn’t a market for fast-food in a town like Barnsley, proprietors would pass us by and establish their business elsewhere. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not a complete killjoy. I like my fish and chips as much as any Northerner, and there’s nothing better than a McDonalds as an occasional treat, or a proper flame-grilled burger.

What worries me, however, is the rise of the takeaway as the default option for dinner. I’ve seen it happening before my eyes, whole families who rely on other people to cook – and I use that term loosely in some cases – their food for them, pretty much every day.

I wonder, especially with the current cost of living crisis, just how they can afford it for a start. The absolute proliferation of home delivery services, especially since the national lockdowns, has simply added fuel to the fire. There’s no need to move more than a finger sliding across an app to have piles of snap (as we call it in Barnsley) delivered to your door. That’s literally putting the icing on the obesity crisis cake.

And I wonder too, if parents ever consider that it’s very hard to find a takeaway meal offering healthy options; the amount of processed chemicals and saturated fats in some dishes is eye watering and has been found to contribute to serious health issues, including heart disease and some cancers, and that’s without even counting the calories.

And what worries me too is the serious blight that too many takeaways brings to a town. I’m glad to see that BMBC is finally linking all aspects of health and wellbeing together.

In some parts of Barnsley, every other shop is a takeaway. In other parts, takeaways are few and far between. Guess which parts are considered the nicest to live in, and incidentally, tend to have the best outcomes for health and longevity?

Barnsley is no exception; as I travel around the region, I see the same pattern in many other towns and villages. However, I am very proud of our local council for taking serious affirmative decisions to turn matters around favourably.