Newcastle follow Gateshead in restriction on takeaways

Newcastle City Council has confirmed the adoption of a policy to restrict the grant of planning for new takeaway premises. This follows a similar policy adopted by Gateshead Council a few years ago and is in an attempt to curb child obesity.

Unlike the Gateshead policy, it is not borough wide with exemptions for 2 wards where the obesity rate in primary school age children has not tipped the threshold(wards where more than 10% of Year 6 pupils are obese) and with a special dispensation for the city centre. . Takeaways will also be banned from opening within 400 metres or a ten-minute walk of schools, parks and community centres. The Head of Health acknowledged on the Radio 4 Today program that there had to be an understanding as to the role of Newcastle City Centre and how the customer base it attracted was different. She also confirmed that in her opinion the planning policy had not detrimentally affected the land take up on local high streets and that it had encouraged diversification of use.

This is an interesting development in relation to the interaction between licensing and planning, we have previously newsed the Agent of Change principle,the phraseology in the new S182 Guidance as the interaction between planning and licensing and of course the fact that the sale of hot food and drink after 23.00 is a licensable activity, thus requiring late night takeaway operators to have to make both licensing and planning applications.

It will be worth watching the consultation on the next Statement of Licensing Policy for both these cities and if there is within it increased focus on Late Night Refreshment.