Agenda item

Presentation supported by Jon Hobday Director of Public Health

Francesca Vale Public Health Practitioner (Food & Health) opened the agenda item on Bury’s Food and Health Strategy - Eat, Live, Love Food with a presentation on Bury’s food journey.

Bury Food Partnership launched in 2021 with 25+ cross sectors partners interested in healthier and sustainable food, this has now expanded to 85+ partners working collaboratively across the borough. Francesca explained how the food strategy is integrated within Bury’s Lets Strategy and alignment with complementary strategies has opened the way for food related issues to be considered in many areas (anti-poverty, climate action, cultural and economic growth).

The Partnership used the Sustainable Food Places themes to map activity, impact, and collective achievements (encompassing food governance, healthy food for all, catering and procurement, good food movement, sustainable food economy, food for the planet). Bury was awarded the Sustainable Food Places Bronze Award in 2022 and quickly progressed to achieving the Silver Award in 2024,  the first area in Greater Manchester to do so.

The Committee heard that Bury’s food system transformation has gained national and internation attention, with the Partnership presenting at Westminster and being invited to participate in the EU Cascade Cities Peer Learning Programme and EU Clever Food Programme, embracing many learning insights, and applying these into our local policies.

Bury Schools Catering serves 10,000 meals per day. Francesca described how the service has set high standards and seasonal menus, shortened supply chains, brought SME’s into procurement framework, increased organic procurement and made cost savings.  Bury Catering have now achieved the prestigious Food for Life Served Here Gold certification from the Soil Association for serving healthy and sustainable meals across 56 sites in Sept 2025.

Francesca also highlighted the recent launch of the “Right to Grow” campaign in June.  This growing initiative aims to bring residents together, nurture local environments, and boost health and wellbeing across the borough.  Growing offers many benefits, from improved mental and physical wellbeing through activity in nature, increased access to fresh food, and the strengthening of community bonds.  A lack of available land close to people’s homes can be an obstacle to more people growing.  To help address this issue, Incredible Edible Prestwich and District, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Bury Council’s Planning, Parks & Countryside, Grounds Maintenance, Public Health and the Bury Voluntary, Community and Faith Alliance have all come together to look at planning, licensing, and to create a single food map of established community growing sites and potential future growing spaces.  Community growing advice and resources are available, and successful applicants will be issued with a Licence Agreement. 

The Committee discussed the national challenges around Free School Meal auto-enrolment.

The Partnership have supported the implementation of Free Schools Meals Auto Enrolment in Bury and has seen amazing first results from bringing in this new process.  Bury Schools Catering Service reaches 52/69 primary schools and 4/14 secondary schools.  Since auto-enrolment meal uptake for Free School Meals increased by 18.4% in our Bury Catering managed schools.  6281 meals were ordered in the week before Easter (April) compared to 7439 meals in the week after auto-enrolment, giving an extra 1158 meals, this equates to an extra 232 children receiving FSMs.  Rev’s and Benefits will repeat the auto enrolment process at the Oct 2025 Census (for schools who participate with Bury’s Council Tax Eligibility Function). 

Attention then turned to the Fast-Food Matrix and its relationship with planning policy. Councillor Frith commended the breadth of work and asked how the matrix would be monitored and managed going forward. Jon Hobday responded that while existing fast food outlets cannot be closed, the Council is working to control the density and proliferation of new ones. He acknowledged the tension between commercial convenience and public health, noting that demand for fast food will persist unless healthy diets and habits are more widely adopted.

Councillor Boles raised concerns about the number of takeaways and suggested that a motion be brought to Council to prevent further increases. He also noted that St John’s and St Mark’s school is piloting a breakfast club initiative. Jon Hobday confirmed that a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is being developed specifically to address fast food planning applications. The SPD contains five or six recommendations aimed at managing the concentration of fast food outlets and mitigating their impact on health outcomes.

However, Adrian Crook cautioned that without a Local Plan, the SPD could be overlooked by the Planning Committee. Councillor FitzGerald echoed this concern, asking whether the Committee could formally support the SPD to strengthen its influence. Councillor Duncalfe referenced the Planning Policy Framework (PPF), noting that any plan must be aligned with national guidance. Councillor Simpson added that the government had published further detail on planning today, which may affect local approaches.

Councillor Boles reiterated the need to understand the full impact of takeaway proliferation, referencing a figure of 165.7 (context to be clarified). He proposed that the Committee ensure the SPD includes provisions that could be triangulated and used as substantial evidence at Planning Committee level. There was broad support for this approach, with members agreeing to back the SPD and bring it to Committee for review.

Councillor Rubinstein asked whether the Committee could support healthier catering awards, though monitoring remains a challenge. Councillor Brown raised the issue of land availability for community growing, noting that while there is support for initiatives like Incredible Edible, there is a lack of secure, usable land.

The Committee agreed to seek further information on both the Incredible Edible and the Right to Grow campaign. Members expressed interest in ensuring future planning documents include provisions for community gardens and growing spaces, with legal mechanisms to secure land use.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to support the SPD, promote sustainable food initiatives, and continue advocating for healthier environments across Bury.

It was agreed:

• The update be noted
• Francesca be thanked for her efforts and extend this to colleagues
• To bring back the SPD to the committee in the future