A decision to restrict the opening hours of fast food outlets near schools has failed to curb childhood obesity with rates instead rising. In 2014 Medway Council put in place rules which limited takeaways if they were located within 400 metres of a school. At the time, the council said preventing fast food outlets from opening during school lunchtimes and for a period after the school day was an effort to prevent unhealthiness in children. Medway had 238 takeaways in 2014, 179 of which were within 400 metres of a school – 10 years later, the total number of takeaways across the Towns has reduc…
