Good Food Local North East: Independent Evaluation Report

Across the UK, local authorities are increasingly recognised as playing a key role in shaping healthier and more sustainable food systems. However, responsibility for food-related activity is often fragmented across departments, and food rarely sits as a clear strategic priority within councils.

Good Food Local North East (GFL-NE) was developed to address this challenge. The programme supports local authorities to assess and strengthen their contribution to local food systems through a structured framework and survey-based assessment tool, which measures action across multiple themes and provides tailored recommendations to support action. The process brings councils and third sector stakeholders together through structured regional activity, creating opportunities to coordinate action, share learning, and build a more joined-up approach to food across local government.

Originally developed in London, the model has been piloted in the North East of England since 2023 in partnership with the Association of Directors of Public Health North East (ADPH NE) and with funding from Impact on Urban Health. The pilot involved thirteen local authorities across the North East and Cumbria.

The findings show strong and consistent endorsement of the programme among participating local authorities, although the extent of its positive impact has varied across places and, to some extent, across different sectors. While still at an early stage, Good Food Local North East is contributing to meaningful shifts in how food is understood, organised, and acted on within local government. In doing so, it is helping to create the conditions for stronger coordination, recognition, and collaboration on food related issues across councils in the North East.