Planning applications for hot food takeaways and fast-food outlets will be refused if they lie within 400m (1,300ft) of a school, a council has said.<\/p>\n
Last summer, a report for Southend-on-Sea City Council found that 33.8% of children were obese or overweight<\/a> by the time they left primary school.<\/p>\n On 13 July, the council’s cabinet approved the recommendations in its annual public health report 2025-26, external<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fast food exclusion zones of 400m<\/a> have already been implemented in other parts of the UK.<\/p>\n Maxine Sadza, the Labour cabinet member for social care and healthier communities, said the impact of obesity on children’s health could not be ignored.<\/p>\n The council has referred to the exclusion zone as a “ban” and as a “battle against the bulge”, external<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Supporting families to make healthier choices remains vital, but we also need to ensure the environments around our schools support good health,” said Sadza.<\/p>\n There are 219 fast food outlets in Southend, according to the council, which is above the national average for the size of its population.<\/p>\n