Labour is considering granting councils tougher powers to bar takeaways from opening near schools, as part of a broader effort to combat the UK’s obesity epidemic. The Government plans to launch a consultation to explore the best ways to enhance councils’ authority in this area.

Currently, half of the councils in the UK already employ planning systems designed to limit the proliferation of new takeaways. The most common approach is the introduction of school exclusion zones, which restrict the granting of planning permission for new fast-food outlets within a certain radius of schools and other places frequented by children.

However, ministers are increasingly concerned about the ability of fast-food giants like KFC to spend substantial sums on legal battles against councils that attempt to reject their planning applications. Since 2017, KFC alone has reportedly challenged 43 councils, leveraging their financial resources to overturn local decisions aimed at protecting children’s health.

The urgency of this initiative is underscored by alarming statistics: nearly a quarter (23.4%) of children aged 10 and 11 are obese, and almost one in ten (9.2%) children in reception classes are also affected.