RESIDENTS have slammed Halton Council for “constantly degrading” Runcorn after a 19th takeaway opened in the old town.

It comes less than a month after the latest plans for Runcorn Healthy New Town project were revealed in more detail.

Halton Lea was chosen as one of 10 demonstrator sites because it falls within the top one per cent of most deprived areas nationally and has higher than average levels of health inequality and obesity.

However, residents have hit out at the hypocrisy of the plans given the proliferation of takeaways and kebab shops in the area. 

One angry man said it was "shocking" that the old town now had 19 takeaways.

Incensed residents claim the town is overrun with unhealthy fast-food shops.

Daniel Clark, chairman of Halton Conservatives, blasted the council for “constantly degrading” the old town with takeaways and said they had “no real interest in tackling living standards”.

Mr Clark, 30, from Runcorn, said: “We need a real term cut in unhealthy food outlets such as kebab shops and other fast food takeaways. I am in favour of a healthy project but the council cannot simply promote a healthy new town, while promoting a unhealthy old town. It shows how out of touch this council is.”

Resident Louise Hignett said:  “It’s disgusting how many takeaways are on offer in town with new ones still opening. Can’t see it ever being a healthy new town. Yes people have a choice if they use these takeaways or not but they make it very easy for people! Really no need for how many we have, it’s a joke.”

Jeanne Booth said: “I live in the old town and it’s disgusting how many takeaways there are. What happened to healthy eating? All you can smell is kebabs now and it’s heartbreaking. We need more fruit and veg shops.”

Concern over the concentration of takeaways in Halton was raised as far back as 2012 when a supplementary planning document said there was an “over-abundance” of such outlets in the borough.

The document said there were 68 fast-food shops in Halton and outlined advice on preventing the over-clustering of takeaways in the area.

However, data published last year calculates that there are now 108 takeaways in the borough.

As well as some 19 takeaways that already exist in Runcorn, plans for two more have also been approved since January, one of which will be a Domino’s Pizza.

A spokesman for Halton Council said: "Hot food is an appropriate use in town centres. Often there is a balance to be struck between vacant, boarded up units and uses that add to footfall and activity in the town centre.

"A wide variety of retailers of all types is obviously desirable in town centres, however if there are no other offers for vacant units in the high street it better to have these occupied.

"Where such circumstances occur, the council looks closely at the number of vacant units and options to maintain activity and vibrancy on the high street.

"It must be remembered councils must determine applications in accordance with the development plan. Any refusal by the council would have to be defended on planning grounds.

"Costs could be awarded against a refusal if a council makes an unjustifiable decision, which could lead to increased costs to the taxpayer. "