Rise of fast-food and vape shops on high streets harms health
Around 90% of Londoners live within a 10-minute walk of a high street, many of which are seeing drastic rises in unhealthy retail outlets.1
58.5% of London residents2 live in some of the unhealthiest neighbourhoods in the country while facing high concentrations of betting shops, vape stores, pubs, and fast-food restaurants, alongside poor air quality. That is almost triple the England average of 20.9%.
The London Assembly Health Committee will tomorrow examine how limited access to healthy options on London’s high streets affect people’s overall health and contributes to health inequalities. The Committee will also seek to collect evidence on what is working well and what needs to change with view to making recommendations to relevant bodies to help make our high streets healthier.
Members will also examine the actions taken by London boroughs, the Mayor, businesses and community groups to promote healthier environments, consider how the Mayor’s new London Plan can support councils, and identify further steps to improve the health of London’s high streets.
Guests will include:
Panel 1 (10:00 – 11:20)
- William Roberts, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH)
- Dr Agatha Nortley-Meshe, Regional Medical Director for Primary Care, NHS England – London region
- Rob Anderson, Research Director, Centre for London
- Cllr Rags Sandhu, Councillor for Bexleyheath ward, London Borough of Bexley
Panel 2 (11:30 – 12:30):
- Louise Duggan, Head of Regeneration & Growth Strategies, Greater London Authority (GLA)
- Tim Rettler, Area Manager South (Regeneration - Growth Strategies), GLA
- Gerard Burgess, Senior Strategic Planner, GLA
- Harry Burchill, Planning Policy Team Leader, London Borough of Brent
The meeting will take place in the Chamber at City Hall on Tuesday 16 June 2026 at 10am.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- Health Equity North, Ghost Towns: The Decline of the High Street and Health Inequalities, 2025
- Department of Health & Social Care, Public health profiles, Access to Healthy Assets & Hazards Index 2024. Worst-performing areas are areas (LSOAs) which score in the poorest performing 20 per cent on the AHAH index.
- Krupesh Hirani AM, Chair of the Health Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Health Committee.
- Read the agenda in full.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact Daniel Zikmund in the Assembly Media Office on 07860647577 or [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.