Public Health wants Castleford fast food drive-thru plans rejected over obesity fears

Developers want to build a fast food restaurant in the town's Bridge Street car park, though they insist an operator to run the premises has not been confirmed.

The idea was first submitted in April 2021, but it's still waiting to be either approved or rejected by Wakefield Council's planning committee.

Now, the council's public health team has advised the restaurant should not be built, citing the "prevalence of obesity" within Castleford.

Councillors are likely to have the final say on the application, however.

A health impact assessment carried out by the applicants, at the council's request, said customers would be able to make informed decisions over what they eat.

It said: "An operator for the development has not been confirmed.

"However, due to the size of the unit including indoor seating, this provides an opportunity for an operator to provide a choice of menu which would allow customers to make a choice about the type of food they consume."

Promoting the application further, the assessment also said the indoor seating area would, "Provide a meeting place for the local community, boosting opportunities for interaction."

However, public health official John Wilcox wrote that the developers' analysis, "Fails to show convincingly that the proposed development will not have overall negative health impacts."

He added: "Public health data for the Castleford area indicates a clear local need to improve health and reduce the prevalence of obesity and health conditions linked to lifestyle and diet (e.g. circulatory diseases.)

"Health outcomes for residents in Castleford being generally worse than those of the population of England as a whole."

A total of 98 objections from the public have been submitted against the diner since the plans were first revealed last spring.

Only nine people have written in support of it.

Other concerns expressed about the plans include the impact on traffic in the town centre.

Meanwhile, West Yorkshire Police have also been reluctant to back the scheme, saying late-night street racing and engine revving at other local drive-thrus is already "draining" their resources.

Local Democracy Reporting Service