LGA: Planning will not provide silver bullet

Education authorities cannot compel schools to adopt "stay in" policies, the Local Government Association (LGA) believes.

It says School Food Trust proposals to prevent children eating junk food by banning them from off-site trips at lunchtime would have to be introduced on a voluntary basis.

A spokesperson warned it may be difficult to enforce the measure but said councils were prepared to use all the powers at their disposal "to tackle this weighty issue".

"It is wrong to imply that planning laws that ban junk food outlets around parks and schools are a potential 'silver bullet'," the spokesperson said.

"Local authorities have to base their decisions on good evidence of potential harmful impacts and the matters they are allowed to take into account by law."