Public health officials have expressed “frustration” at how little control the council has over the numbers being taken in some areas, saying some shopping streets have a fast food business in every second unit.
Bradford Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee was given an update on the Bradford Good Food Strategy at a meeting on Thursday evening.
Members were told part of the strategy would see them work with several officials to pilot healthier menus – including smaller portions and grilled foods instead of fried foods.
Keighley Health Living has been appointed to lead the ‘Living Well Takeaways’ program – a three-year program of takeaways to improve their offering “so they can be healthier and more sustainable”.
A small amount has been taken up in the first year of the scheme, and it is to be implemented on a large scale very soon.
But committee members argued that the sheer number of fast food outlets in the district made it more difficult to encourage people to eat healthier.
Sue Crowe, director of Equality Together, said: “Every time you walk into the BRI, the only other shop seems to be a cake shop, an ice cream shop or a fast food outlet.
“I checked before this meeting, in one takeaway you can buy a bucket of chicken, chips and a coke for £2.99.”
Tim Howells, head of public health, said: “The most deprived communities seem to be swamped by fast food takeaways.
“We’re working with takeout, but a big part of changing things will be working with schools so kids can make informed decisions about what’s a healthy option and what’s an unhealthy option.”
Councilor Paul Godwin (Lab, Keighley West) pointed out that foods considered unhealthy were often very popular.
Rose Dunlop, deputy director of public health, said: “We’re not saying there are bad foods and good foods, we just want people to have a better balance.
“We don’t mean you can’t have deep-fried fast food, it’s about getting the balance right.
“Many people are full after a kid-sized meal, which may encourage people to have smaller portions.
“We have worked with takeaways, but many are unwilling to stop selling sugary drinks. You don’t want to be known as a place where you do small jobs. They don’t want to be known as a place where they grill instead of fry.”
If more people choose healthier options, demand will change, she said, and this will lead to a change in the types of food offered.
Officers were asked if the council’s planning system could be used to stop sprawl in Bradford.
Ms Dunlop said Bradford introduced a policy in 2014 to prevent children from being taken within 400 meters of a school, park or public space used by children – unless in a town, city or village centre.
But it did not empower the council to close existing takeaways.
She said: “It helped, but by then the horse had bolted.
“We looked into whether we could review the planning to carry it if it changed hands, but unfortunately that’s not possible.
“Some of our abduction denials were overturned by Whitehall on appeal.”
Explaining some of the issues, she said if a takeaway or drive-thru has a large enough seating area, it can be classed as a restaurant – meaning it is exempt from planning rules restricting takeout.
She added: “It’s a complicated world out there. If it’s an easy nut to crack, we’ll do it, but it’s a frustrating area.
Councilor Mozalfa Elias (Lab, Clayton and Fairweather Green) suggested that social media could be used to promote healthy eating. She said: “Is it worth tapping local influencers? It will reach a large market.
Mr Howells said: “We discussed it, but you can’t always control what they do. Other authorities have come under fire in the past. They’ve asked an influencer to do one thing and they’ve been paid by another company to promote something else.
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