Councils click into the future of planning
In town halls across the country, planning officers are racing to update their Local Plans — but this time, the process looks very different.
Council chiefs call for sugar tax on milkshakes
05/11/2024 Local authority leaders have called for the soft drinks industry levy to be devolved to councils to tackle obesity and to be expanded to milk-based drinks. |
Council to restrict new takeaway sites
20/06/2024 New measures to limit the development of new hot food takeaway sites have been introduced by Newcastle City Council. |
Decades of ‘neglect’ have left children shorter and overweight
19/06/2024 Children in England are getting shorter, more obese and sicker because of poor diets, food insecurity and poverty, health experts warn. |
Call for urgent action on childhood obesity
18/06/2024 ‘Urgent and decisive’ action is needed to combat rising levels of childhood obesity, a public health director has argued. |
Nearly 460k unemployed due to unhealthy lifestyle
21/11/2023 Nearly 460,000 people in the UK are unemployed due to the health impact of tobacco, alcohol, and obesity, costing the economy £31.1bn. |
Luton Council restricts advertising of unhealthy foods
04/08/2023 Luton Council has become the latest local authority to restrict the advertising of sugary and fatty foods. |
Planning Inspectorate rejects pizza shop appeal
12/06/2023 The Planning Inspectorate has rejected a plan for a pizza shop in Newcastle because of fears over obesity. |
Majority support restrictions on fast food advertising
23/05/2023 Three-quarters of adults would like their local council to be able to restrict unhealthy food and drink advertising near schools and playgrounds, poll finds. |
Adult obesity in rural areas up by over 1m
15/05/2023 Rural areas are facing a surge in numbers of obese and overweight people but are hamstrung in their efforts to deal with it, according to council leaders. |
Council chiefs alarmed by 80% jump in tooth extractions
23/02/2023 Council leaders have called on the Government to use the spring budget to recommit to the sugar levy after new data reveals an increase in tooth extractions. |
Councils ‘in the dark’ about public health funding
06/02/2023 Vital frontline services, such as drug and alcohol treatment, are at risk of being cut unless Government announces public health funding for next year. |
Sugar levy prevented 5,000 cases of obesity every year
27/01/2023 Council leaders have called on the Government to recommit to the sugar levy as a new study reveals it prevented more than 5,000 cases of obesity every year. |
Obesity research receives £20m boost
28/11/2022 Research into new obesity treatments and technologies received a boost over the weekend with the Government announcement of a £20m cash injection. |
NHS figures reveal ‘strong link’ between obesity and deprivation
04/11/2022 There is a ‘strong link’ between children living with obesity and deprivation, new NHS figures have revealed. |
Council leaders call for more powers to tackle obesity
29/09/2022 Council chiefs have called for more powers to restrict the number of takeaways and fast food adverts near schools as figures reveal rising childhood obesity. |
Council chiefs blast Government over ‘sugar levy’
12/08/2022 Council leaders have urged the Government to stick to their pledge to reinvest money raised from the soft drinks industry into anti-obesity initiatives. |
'Drastic' action needed to meet childhood obesity targets, councils warn
20/07/2022 The Government is likely to miss its childhood obesity targets despite a fall in obesity rates in primary school children, council chiefs have warned today. |
‘Stark’ projections show 40% of 10 year olds facing obesity
27/06/2022 The Government will miss its deadline for tackling obesity by 2030, council chiefs warn as new figures reveal a high percentage of children are overweight. |
Council chiefs criticise food strategy as ‘missed opportunity’
14/06/2022 Local authority leaders have criticised the Government’s new food strategy which they argue does not tackle the underlying causes of obesity. |
One in five children at risk of obesity
19/05/2022 Government should help provide more affordable leisure opportunities, council chiefs say as study reveals children are not getting enough exercise. |
Report calls for stronger action on major health risk factors
23/02/2022 The Government's current approach to tackling the leading risk factors for ill health is 'insufficient' to deliver on its key targets, according to a new report. |
New app to help improve children's diet
10/01/2022 A new app to help families improve the diets of their children has been launched today. |
Wolverhampton to pilot new anti-obesity scheme
02/12/2021 Residents in Wolverhampton could receive vouchers and tickets if they adopt healthier lifestyle choices, under a new scheme being piloted in the city. |
Childhood obesity ‘one of the greatest public health challenges’
17/11/2021 Local authority leaders urge Government to do more to tackle childhood obesity as the NHS warns of a ‘significant increase’ in obesity rates among children. |
England's first specialist clinics to help severely obese children
16/11/2021 More than 1,000 severely obese children will receive specialist treatment and targeted support every year as part of a new pilot project. |
One in 10 people will have diabetes within a decade, charity warns
06/10/2021 One in 10 adults in the UK could be diabetic by 2030, according to new analysis by Diabetes UK. |
Type 2 diabetes in children up by nearly 60%
16/08/2021 Council chiefs urged Government to ensure long-term funding for council weight management services as they warned of increase in Type 2 diabetes in children. |
People living in poorest areas most likely to be obese, think tank finds
05/07/2021 There has been a 'significant' increase in obesity in the most deprived communities in England, a think tank has warned today. |
Councils secure funding for new weight management services
01/07/2021 Councils will receive £30m of new funding to help adults achieve a healthier weight and improve wellbeing. |
MPs call for review of 'dangerous' obesity strategy
09/04/2021 The Government’s Obesity Strategy has been branded as ‘dangerous’ for people with negative body image by MPs. |
Funding boost for councils’ weight management services
04/03/2021 The Government has announced £100m funding to help adults and children achieve and maintain a healthier weight. |
Majority of adults determined to lead healthier lifestyles in the face of COVID-19
05/01/2021 Seven in 10 adults say that the threat of the coronavirus has motivated them to lead healthier lives this year, a public health survey has revealed. |
Food poverty linked to mental and physical distress
10/11/2020 New research has revealed that people who have experienced food poverty are more likely to live with obesity and suffer from increased levels of physical and mental distress. |
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Childhood obesity rises again in past year
30/10/2020 Children living in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to be obese as those in the least deprived, new figures have revealed. |
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Watchdog warns progress on childhood obesity is 'slow'
09/09/2020 Government efforts to tackle childhood obesity have been slow and uncoordinated, the public spending watchdog has warned today. |
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Half of professionals feel childhood obesity is a child protection issue
03/09/2020 Nearly half of health and social workers believe child obesity should be considered a child protection issue, according to a new study. |
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Obesity stigma fuelling ‘severe impact’ on adult social care
20/08/2020 Weight-related stigmas need tackling to help prevent rising levels of obesity having a significant impact on adult social care, local authority leaders say. |
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Councils call for public health funding to avert obesity crisis
27/07/2020 Council leaders have warned that the Government must reverse public health funding cuts in order for any new obesity strategy to be successful. |
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Campaigners call for details on reopening playgrounds
04/06/2020 The Government has been urged to invest £100m in play provision to avoid a ‘catastrophic’ impact on children’s health by the Association of Play Industries (API). |
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Inspector rejects planning appeal over obesity concerns
13/03/2020 A government planning inspector has supported a council’s policy of restricting new hot food takeaways in areas of high obesity by rejecting a planning appeal made by KFC. |
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Councils chiefs call for more powers to ‘restrict’ takeaways
12/11/2019 Local authorities have called for more planning powers to help them prevent takeaways from ‘clustering’ as part of the fight against health inequalities and obesity. |
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Around 58,000 reception-aged children obese, data shows
11/10/2019 New figures from the NHS have revealed that obesity levels among reception-aged schoolchildren in England have increased. |
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Give councils the powers to restrict takeaways, obesity report says
10/10/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed a proposal to strengthen planning powers to help deal with the underlying causes of obesity. |
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Ban junk food shops near schools, report argues
13/09/2019 Unhealthy fast food outlets within a five-minute walk from schools should be banned, a new report has argued today. |
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Campaigners call for 'calorie tax' to tackle obesity
07/08/2019 Companies producing high-calorie foods should be taxed to help tackle the 'obesity crisis', campaigners have demanded. |
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Diabetes in children up 50% in five years
15/07/2019 Council chiefs have warned of an 'obesity crisis’ as figures reveal the number of young people being treated for Type 2 diabetes increased 50% in five years. |
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Council-led programmes to fight childhood obesity launched
25/06/2019 The Government is to fund five council-led programmes to tackle childhood obesity. |
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Calls for sugar-free schools by 2022
05/06/2019 All schools in London should be sugar-free by 2022, according to health experts. |
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Prevention work for tackling obesity under threat from cuts, council chiefs say
09/05/2019 Early intervention by councils is ‘vital’ for dealing with obesity, council chiefs say as new figures reveal a 15% increase in hospital admissions where obesity was a factor. |
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Councils need more powers to tackle junk food adverts, campaigners say
24/04/2019 Campaigners have called for local authorities to be given more powers to push back against junk food advertising. |
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Council chiefs call for ‘greater proportion’ of soft drinks levy
08/04/2019 Local authority leaders have called for a greater share of the soft drinks levy to go towards the public health budgets of councils. |
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Inactivity linked to 70,000 deaths a year
26/03/2019 Spending too much time sitting around is linked to about 70,000 deaths a year in the UK, according to public health experts. |
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UK youth ‘let down’ on long-term health issues
20/02/2019 Youth in the UK are being ‘let down’ when it comes to treating long-term illnesses such as asthma, according to an independent health think tank. |
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Councils chosen to develop childhood obesity plans
28/01/2019 Practical plans to tackle childhood obesity are to be developed by 13 councils after they received funding from the government’s Trailblazer programme. |
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Report warns children's screen time has replaced outdoor play
17/01/2019 Children should spend a maximum of two hours in front of a screen during their recreational time to encourage them to play outside more, a new report has urged today. |
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'Sugar tax' raises more than £150m to fight child obesity
21/11/2018 Cash collected from the 'sugar tax' has already helped in the fight against childhood obesity, according to the Government. |
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Councils call for powers to ban junk food advertising
07/11/2018 Local authority leaders have urged the Government to give them the powers to ban junk food advertising as part of the struggle against childhood obesity. |
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Online takeaways should be ‘forced’ to display hygiene ratings, council chiefs say
28/09/2018 Local government leaders have called for businesses serving food to be ‘forced’ to display food hygiene ratings to improve standards and protect people. |
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Whitehall asks councils for ‘trailblazing’ ideas to fight childhood obesity
26/09/2018 The Government is asking local authorities to apply to its ‘trailblazer’ programme for tackling childhood obesity. |
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Figures show 40% increase in number of children with Type 2 diabetes
20/08/2018 The number of children and young people being treated for Type 2 diabetes has increased by 40% in the last four years, new figures have revealed. |
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Severe obesity in children at record high, health body says
24/07/2018 Levels of severe obesity in children aged 10 and 11 have reached the ‘highest point’ since records began, public health body warns. |
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Nowhere to play?
17/07/2018 New research from the Association of Play Industries has revealed the scale of decline in playgrounds across England. LGN finds out more. |
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Poorest communities are ‘fast food hotspots’
29/06/2018 The most deprived areas in England have five times more fast food outlets than more affluent communities, new figures have revealed. |
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Hunt outlines plan to halve childhood obesity by 2030
25/06/2018 Supermarkets will be prevented from displaying unhealthy foods and sweets at their checkouts in a crackdown being considered by health secretary Jeremy Hunt. |
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Kids eating ‘far more sugar than is healthy’, warn health officials
15/06/2018 Children have already consumed more than the recommended intake of sugar for the whole of 2018, according to Public Health England. |
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Councils should be given more powers to tackle junk food, MPs say
30/05/2018 Council leaders have welcomed a call for local authorities to be given more powers to tackle the advertising and sale of unhealthy food and drink to children. |
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Council chiefs warn obesity is ‘ill-health time bomb’
29/05/2018 New figures show that child obesity is contributing to a 'multi-billion pound ill-health time bomb', local government leaders have warned. |
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Cross-party MPs call for national obesity strategy
15/05/2018 A national obesity strategy would help strengthen existing services and replicate best practice across the country, according to a new report. |
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Obesity driving increase in hospital admissions
05/04/2018 Hospital admissions where obesity is a factor increased by nearly 20% last year, NHS figures reveal. |
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Council leaders call for ‘traffic light’ food labelling to fight salt consumption
13/03/2018 Local authority chiefs have repeated their calls for the ‘traffic light’ food labelling system to become a legal requirement post-Brexit as health campaigners warn of the high salt content of ready meals. |
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Getting physical
27/02/2018 Andy Howell explains how active healthier lifestyles are being driven by urban renewal in Slough. |
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Diabetes cases in the UK double in 20 years
27/02/2018 The number of people living with diabetes in the UK has more than doubled over the last 20 years, new research has revealed today. |
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Traffic light labelling on food should be ‘mandatory’, councils say
12/02/2018 Traffic light labelling on food and drink should become mandatory after Brexit in order to help fight obesity, council chiefs say. |
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Council chiefs urge Government to expand sports funding
31/01/2018 Local authority leaders have urged the Government to expand its sports funding in order to help tackle the child obesity problem. |
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Health experts unveil best menus to tackle childhood obesity
13/11/2017 Thai chicken curry, moussaka and pork ragu are on the menus for children recommended by health experts in a drive to cut obesity. |
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Call to ban Coca-Cola Christmas truck from Liverpool
31/10/2017 The Coca-Cola truck should be banned from Liverpool this Christmas as the city is in the grips of an ‘obesity crisis’, the Liberal Democrat leader has warned. |
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Number of children 'dangerously' overweight is on the rise
20/10/2017 Almost one in ten children starting school are dangerously overweight, according to the latest figures from Public Health England - and the number is on the rise. |
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New unit set up to support childhood obesity plan
18/08/2017 The Government has invested £5m into a new obesity policy research unit to look at the causes of childhood obesity. |
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Council chiefs slam ‘perverse’ plans to hijack soft drinks levy
27/07/2017 Money from the soft drinks industry intended to tackle obesity is being 'hijacked' to plug a shortfall in education funding, according to council chiefs. |
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Children getting enough physical activity drops ‘dramatically’
18/07/2017 The number of children getting enough physical activity drops by 40%, health body warns. |
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Opposition parties announce plans to save ‘struggling’ health and care system
08/05/2017 Labour and the Liberal Democrats have announced their manifesto commitments to save the UK’s struggling health and social care sector, and tackle childhood obesity. |
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NHS report warns of ‘rising tide’ of obesity
31/03/2017 A rising tide of excess weight and obesity linked to a lack of exercise and poor diet has been highlighted in a new NHS report. |
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Childhood obesity could ‘bankrupt health and social care’, councils say
27/03/2017 MPs warn Government is missing opportunities to tackle childhood obesity, as councils say weight-related illnesses could ‘bankrupt health and social care’. |
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Scotland has ‘worst weight outcomes’ in UK, MSPs say
23/01/2017 Scotland has the worst weight outcomes of all the UK nations because of an ‘inconsistent’ approach to policies designed to tackle obesity, MSPs warn. |
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Childhood obesity on the increase shows figures
04/11/2016 The number of children who are overweight or obese has risen over the past year, according to official figures. |
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Figures reveal 'significant weight gap' between poor and affluent boys
11/10/2016 Three in five of England’s poorest boys are likely to be overweight or obese by 2020, compared to one in six of boys from more affluent areas, new figures show. |
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Traffic light food labelling should be mandatory, say councils
19/09/2016 Traffic light labelling showing the nutritional content of food and drink should be made a legal requirement, council chiefs say. |
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People unaware of link between obesity and cancer
09/09/2016 Most people are unaware that being overweight or obese can be a factor in developing cancer, according to new research. |
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Obesity crisis puts children at risk of cancer, charity says
01/09/2016 Nearly 60,000 children become overweight or obese during primary school increasing the risk of cancer in later life, a charity has warned. |
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Councils 'disappointed' with childhood obesity strategy
18/08/2016 Council leaders have voiced their disappointment at the government’s long-awaited obesity strategy, saying the reforms do not go far enough to tackle childhood obesity. |
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Obesity predicted to have cost councils over half a billion pounds
18/07/2016 Tackling obesity is set to have cost councils more than half a billion pounds since taking over public health from the NHS three years ago, the Local Government Association (LGA) says. |
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Millions facing diseases caused by obesity by 2035
20/06/2016 Around 40 million adults will be obese by 2035 if current trends continue, a new report is warning today. |
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Councils voice concern over children with Type 2 diabetes
15/06/2016 The number of children developing Type 2 diabetes will continue to rise unless the Government takes 'bold' action in its childhood obesity strategy, council leaders have warned. |
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Research shows surge in junk-food restaurants near schools
09/06/2016 The number of fast-food outlets within a five-minute walk of a school has increased by 58% in the past seven years, new research has revealed. |
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Sport England unveils £250m plan to tackle inactivity
19/05/2016 Sport England has pledged to spend £250m over the next five years to help tackle inactivity. |
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Obesity costs NHS £5bn a year, LGA say
29/04/2016 Obesity prevalence in England has almost doubled since the early nineties, according to new statistics. |
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Councils call for intervention on childhood eating habits
06/04/2016 Councils are hoping to develop a 1,000 days plan for toddlers to help instil healthy eating from an early age. |
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Nearly 2,500 academies not signed up to healthy school meal standards
22/03/2016 A loophole that enables nearly 2,500 academies and free schools avoid signing up to healthy school meal standards must be closed in a forthcoming child obesity strategy, town hall leaders say. |
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Budget 2016: Osborne unveils sugar tax to fund school sports
16/03/2016 A new sugar levy will be imposed on soft drinks to help raise £520m for primary school sports, chancellor George Osborne has announced. |
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Councils call for control over sports funding to help reduce premature deaths
24/02/2016 Council leaders are calling for more control over sports and leisure funding in a bid to reduce the ‘alarming’ levels of premature deaths. |
