Should there be fewer takeaway outlets in Wolverhampton?

Residents are being encouraged to have their say over plans to limit the proliferation of fast food shops in the city.

The new rules will mean that takeaways cannot open within 400 metres – around a five-minute walk – of a secondary school, as well as ruling that no more than two can be next door to each other.

Under the new plans, they will also be banned from opening in shopping centres or parades where there is already a high percentage.

In centres with more than 40 units, no more than 10 per cent will be allowed to be fast food shops.

Wolverhampton Council's cabinet approved draft planning guidance last month and this has now gone out for public consultation.

If adopted, it will supplement existing guidance already used in key areas of the city centre, Bilston and the Three Tuns Shopping Centre on Stafford Road.

The guidance will affect new drive-throughs, Chinese and Indian takeaways and pizza, fried chicken, burger and fish and chip shops. It will not affect food and drink retailers such as sandwich shops and bakeries, restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and dessert shops, or existing hot food takeaways.

The proportion of hot food takeaways in and around Wolverhampton is significantly higher than the national average, with research showing there is more than one hot food takeaway for every 1,000 people. The national average is 0.86 per 1,000.

Councillor John Reynolds, cabinet member for city economy, said: "Fast food outlets are an important component of the local economy but where they make up a disproportionately high percentage of the retail offer they can have a negative impact.

"It's important to stress that this proposed guidance will not affect existing hot food takeaways, and nor does it limit the type of takeaways. This is simply about ensuring that we do not end up with too many of them.

“I would encourage residents, businesses and other stakeholders to take part in this consultation and have their say about these proposals.”

Wolverhampton also has some of the highest levels of obesity in the country – around two thirds of adults and nearly half of school children in Year 6 are either overweight or obese, significantly higher than the national average, with obesity costing the NHS up to £8bn per year.

Councillor Paul Sweet, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: "This is not about the council telling people what they can and cannot eat. This is about achieving an economically viable balance between hot food takeaways and other retailers, addressing the over concentration of takeaways, protecting vulnerable groups such as secondary school children, and ultimately reducing obesity and poor diet which is affecting the health and wellbeing of so many of our citizens."

The deadline for responses is 5pm on Monday, December 11.