Ms Joan Martin:

I thank the committee for the invitation extended to the City and County Management Association to address it in regard to the urgent issue of childhood obesity. I understand from our inquiries the committee is particularly interested in looking at ways in which the planning and development control system can assist, particularly in regard to the siting of takeaway and fast food outlets near schools and other places frequented by children. Having considered the wider roles of local government and where our plans and policies can assist in tackling issues around childhood obesity, I have decided to look at the topic not just from a control and regulation point of view, but also in the context of other areas such as the local economic and community plans and the Healthy Ireland plan, which is now produced by each council.

The making of county development plans is a key strategic function of local authorities, and is a reserved function of the elected members of a county or city council. The plans not only set the context and policies which govern planning applications but, at a more fundamental level, a development plan is described as “a spatial framework, which, while acknowledging wider social, economic and environmental trends, needs to focus on the 'big picture' planning issues, possibilities and considerations that will underpin how the development process in that area is to be structured in order to achieve the plan’s objectives for the wider community.” I suppose we are also talking about the current trendy phrase, "placemaking", and Mr. Ryan referred to making great places to live and work. Essentially, however, all this means that while a new development plan must conform to a whole series of legal requirements, as set out in planning and development and other legislation, as well as the guidelines to which Mr. Ryan referred, the plan is also about a vision for the particular city or county and about making that a great place to live, work and play. This allows councils to add their own flavour and priorities to their development plan. In the case of my own county, Louth was the first age friendly county in Ireland and our policies around the age friendly agenda are embedded in our development plan.

With regard to childhood obesity and the city or county development plan, I understand the committee is interested in planning law, the siting of fast food outlets and so on. Certainly, there has been a growing and vocal lobby advocating for the inclusion of bans on fast food outlets near schools via city and county development plans. That is at different stages in different counties and some of the plans, to which I will refer later, are quite recent, whereas, in my county, we are not due to begin reviewing our plan until the end of next year and all current plans are sitting waiting.

A number of county chief executives have expressed concern about such an approach, citing, in particular, concerns about the situation in a smaller village where the presence of a school might result in a total ban on such outlets in that village. However, a number of councils have already adopted development plans which contain restrictions. For example, South Dublin County Council has included an objective “to restrict the opening of new fast food-takeaway outlets in close proximity to schools so as to protect the health and well-being of school-going children", although this particular example does not set a specific distance. Dublin City Council has a policy to “safeguard the health of young people that no further fast food outlets should be permitted within 250 m of primary and secondary schools (not to apply to delicatessen and convenience stores), unless an evidence-based case is made by the applicant that the proposed development would be in the interests of the proper planning and development of the area.” Wexford has a more clear-cut statement that the development of hot food takeaways will be strictly controlled and a proliferation of this use will not be encouraged. It goes on to say that proposals for this type of development will not be permitted where it is within 200 m radius of educational establishments, which gives it a wider application.

Clearly, these examples show it is possible, within the provisions of existing legislation and guidelines, to include policies and objectives of the type being considered by the committee. At present, those policies included by councils are generally around fast food near schools but perhaps new guidelines or recommendations could be developed to offer advice about a range of policies that might be considered. As I mentioned, local government is in a pause period while we engage in the translation of the national planning framework, Project Ireland 2040, to the new regional plans. Following its adoption, all city and county councils will work on their development plans either to bring in variations or to bring in entirely new plans, which will have to reflect both Project Ireland 2040 and the regional, social and economic plans for their areas. Now is a very good time to consider new guidelines or to consider how issues around childhood obesity might be considered in the next round of development plans. I know the land use and transportation, LUTS, committee of the City and County Management Association, of which I am a member, would be willing to look at such a policy area and at the implications, given, as Mr. Ryan mentioned, there are both positive and negative implications. We would be more than willing to co-operate if the committee wishes to go down that road.

Moving to the other side, that is, the more positive action rather than the "big stick" action, in County Louth the LCDC, or local community development committee, which is a statutory committee, has produced its Healthy Ireland plan for the county. This is largely a subset of the overall statutory plan - the local economic and community plan for County Louth. Healthy Ireland is based on the premise that health and well-being is affected by all aspects of a person’s life, including education, housing, financial status and physical environment. The Healthy Ireland plan sets out to increase the proportion of people who are healthy at all stages of life, reduce health inequalities, protect the public from threats to health and well-being and create an environment where every individual and sector of society can play its part in achieving a healthy Louth.

Goal 4 of the Louth community plan is about health and well-being and is to be achieved by providing environments and conditions that support healthy, self-directed, fulfilled and purposeful lives. The Louth Healthy Ireland plan flows from national policy and objectives and it is about taking a positive and proactive approach to health and well-being, rather than using a regulatory approach, as would be the case in banning fast food outlets near schools. It is about encouraging and educating people to take responsibility for their health and well-being from a very early age. For example, the first objective is about active-friendly environments. The plan asserts that in creating active-friendly environments, cycle lanes, playgrounds, well-lit paths, and so on, local authorities will engage with local communities, schools and other stakeholders to plan facilities that are appropriate to the needs of the community. There are many examples of this. We have a greenway along the shore of Carlingford Lough, where the local schools regularly take the children out on bicycles. It is about getting results. In the communications and knowledge sharing priority of the plan, the aim is to link communications expertise and capacity across sectors to ensure consistent, complementary, cutting-edge, accessible and persuasive health and well-being communication strategies are developed and implemented in full.

For children and young people, the emphasis in the plan is on creating opportunities for increasing activity and exercise. There are also objectives in Louth around healthy eating, including plans to develop programmes to improve healthy eating for mothers-to-be, preconception, and for infants and children up to two years, along with an increase in breakfast clubs to offer a healthy breakfast to children from deprived backgrounds. We are aiming at a preconception level with our promotion of the healthy eating and healthy lifestyle message to mothers in order that children are born into that atmosphere. There is also an objective to provide healthy eating programmes in schools, youth facilities and sports organisations in order to increase the numbers of children and young people with a healthy weight.

As committee members can see, there is an option for local authorities to include policies and objectives around healthy living and healthy weights within the city or county development plan process. There are also other areas, including the Healthy Ireland plans, where local authorities, in collaboration with other agencies, including the HSE, are setting out to work together with the aim of having a healthier population in the years ahead. I suppose I am advocating a carrot rather than a stick approach.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet the committee this morning and, as always, the CCMA stands ready to listen to its recommendations and assist its work in any way possible.