We won’t take steps to ban chicken shops near schools, says Hackney Council

Chickening out: a fast food takeway on Hackney Road. Photograph: Ella Jessel

Hackney Council’s cabinet has rejected calls for it to examine ways of banning fast food takeaways from setting up shop within a 400 metre radius of primary and secondary schools.

The proposal was drawn up by the Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission, whose chair Councillor Anntoinette Bramble said she was “very disappointed” the cabinet had not adopted the idea.

In a Town Hall debate Cllr Bramble said a ban would have sent “a bold message that it is committed to tackling childhood obesity whilst helping to shape our high streets, which are now becoming increasingly saturated with chicken shops”.

Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP Diane Abbott, who is also Shadow Public Health Minister, has said local authorities should be given more power to stop the “proliferation of chicken and chips shops” and other fast food outlets.

At a debate about the issue in last month’s full council meeting, regeneration chief Cllr Guy Nicholson said: “The planning service has no authority to go around closing fried chicken establishments. It cannot distinguish between fried chicken and a flame grilled burger. It cannot distinguish between that and a flame grilled kebab with pitta and salad.”

Other councils like Waltham Forest have taken tentative steps towards restricting where fast food outlets can open.

Salford City Council has attempted to ban chip shops from serving customers before 5pm to try and tackle the obesity epidemic.

Some local schools have strict rules about consumption of fast food.

For example, pupils at Petchey Academy are banned from entering chicken shops in school uniform, with the rule being enforced via patrols.