Cheshire East becomes twentieth Council to introduce a healthier food advertising policy

Cheshire East Council signed off on a robust policy to restrict unhealthy food and drinks adverts in their local area. The measures have been introduced to improve public health.

Cheshire East Council is the twentieth Council to bring in a Healthier Food Advertising Policy, after the Mayor of London, with support from Sustain, first brought in the policy across the Transport for London network in 2019. Cheshire East is the fifth Council in the North West of England to do so after Knowsley, Sefton and Cheshire West and Chester and Liverpool City Councils successfully signed off on policies earlier this year.

Fran Bernhardt, Sustain's Commercial Determinants Coordinator said:

We’re delighted to have worked with Cheshire East Council to prioritise children’s health by switching the spotlight away from unhealthy foods and drinks.

There are now 20 English Councils plus the Transport for London network which have introduced these robust policies designed by Sustain. This growing movement sends a message to the national Government to deliver on their pledges to restrict advertising on TV and online, and further focus on outdoor and radio to set the stage for healthier food across our communities.

This policy is a bold step in the right direction: prioritising not just health but equality and sustainability too. Evidence shows that putting the spotlight on unhealthy food increases the risk of food related ill health like diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay. Companies target low-income areas, resulting in people living there being more likely to experience poor health. Additionally, many of the restricted products are unsustainable containing climate damaging ingredients, such as sugar, cocoa and palm oil, as well as requiring lots of energy to process them.

We hope the terrific news from Cheshire East Council will inspire even more Councils to take this important step for their residents’ health.

Councillor Jill Rhodes, chair of Cheshire East Council’s adults and health committee, said:

We recognise the significant impact that exposure to unhealthy food advertising can have on the health and well-being of our residents, particularly children. 

By taking this proactive step, we are prioritising the health of everyone in Cheshire East and demonstrating the Council’s commitment to reducing health inequalities.

Background

Evidence from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s evaluation of the Transport for London policy has shown that the restrictions led to a 20% reduction in sugary products, and a 1000 calorie decrease per week per household from unhealthy foods and drinks. Further modelling research from the University of Sheffield has estimated that across London, the restriction may lead to 95,000 fewer cases of obesity, 3000 fewer cases of diabetes and 2000 fewer cases of heart disease and could save the NHS £218 million over the lifetime of the current population.

Transport for London also announced that its advertising revenues have been unaffected by the restrictions since implementation in 2019. In the first year of the policy, revenues went up by £2.3 million, and in the second year (2020-21), despite financial losses due to Covid lockdowns at the time, the restrictions enabled the advertising figures to be maintained.

While local governments are taking action on outdoor advertising, national government has stalled. In September 2024, they recommitted to the timeline to restrict unhealthy food advertising from TV and online, which was welcomed after delays since it was first proposed in 2020 for implementation in 2022. However, when it comes to addressing the spotlight on unhealthy food in our town centres, streets and transport, there has been limited meaningful action. In October 2024, the House of Lords inquiry on Food, Diet and Obesity urged the government to restrict unhealthy food and drink advertising across all advertising sites including outdoor sites by 2026.

If your local authority is interested in introducing a healthier food advertising policy, check out Sustain's toolkit for local authorities.