Including a drive thru take away in a new sports development would “send the wrong message” – according to Bradford public health figures.
In February ambitious plans to create a new sports centre on the former AWM waste site on Valley Road, Shipley, were submitted to Bradford Council.
Alongside a large sports hall, including football pitches and gym space, would be outdoor pitches, a shop and a drive thru take away.
Applicants PH Holdings said the plans could create up to 50 jobs, and regenerate a site that has been empty since a major fire in 2018.
But the planned drive thru has raised concerns among Bradford Council’s public health department – saying approving such plans would go against Council policy.
In 2014 the Council introduced a new policy aimed at tackling the high obesity levels in the District. It would prevent hot food take aways from opening within 400 metres of schools, parks, leisure centres and other areas where children would frequent.
The public health department’s response to this application points out that not only would a take away provide an unhealthy temptation to young people visiting the site, but also that the drive thru element would increase pollution in the area.
Angela Hutton Senior Public Health Specialist, wrote to planners to say: “Public Health would oppose the inclusion of a Hot Food Takeaway or Fast Food outlet on the site for the reason that a sport and leisure facility is likely to be a location that will be used by children and young people.
“The proposal does not merit support and will actively send the wrong message, in particular appearing to condone the association of fast food with sport and leisure, when healthy eating is in fact a key component of health and fitness.
“The Council has limited options to reduce the number of existing take aways and fast-food premises.
“Approving an additional fast-food drive through restaurant would be at odds with the purpose of the Council’s own guidance on controlling the increase in Hot Food Takeaways, and at odds with both with national health guidance on preventing excess weight gain and also with priorities in the District’s new food strategy.”
On the drive thru element, she added: “This is at odds with the need to create a pleasant site for visitors to the sports and leisure centre and retail outlets, and to creating a clean-air site with low levels of the traffic-related pollutants that are harmful to health.
“Public Health would oppose the drive-through element to the proposal.”
A decision on the application is expected later this month.
