Headlines: Liverpool launches ‘Good Food Plan’ to tackle child nutrition, hunger and other issues

Liverpool is to launch its Good Food Plan this week – a strategy to create a city where everyone can eat good food and address key issues related to the food we eat.

The scheme will tackle the immediate challenges the city faces while also building a framework to create systemic change for the future.

Issues include acute hunger, chronic food insecurity, access to and take-up of healthy, nutritious food and the sustainability of food supply.

Why do we need the ‘Good Food Plan’?

Liverpool is home to three of the 10 most economically deprived areas in England and only 12% of children aged 11 to 18 eat their five-a-day (NDNS 2021).

Meanwhile, a survey of the menus of 26% of private, voluntary and independent nurseries in Liverpool found them all to be deficient in energy, carbohydrates, iron, and zinc.

A total of 32% of adults in Liverpool are food insecure.

What are the goals for the Good Food Plan?

Goal 1: ‘Good Food’ at points of crisis – to ensure people in crisis get access to ‘Good Food’ quickly and easily.

Goal 2: Uncovering the True Scale of Food Insecurity – to better understand and document the scale and experiences of food insecurity.

Goal 3: Enabling Food Citizenship – to enable people to have the power, voice, resources and motivation to shape their local food environments and the food system as a whole.

Goal 4: Shifting Policy and Practice – to shift policy and practice to enable ‘Good Food’ to flourish.

Goal 5: Connecting the Community – to bring together a community of people and organisations that have a part to play in achieving good food for all.

Plans to move Birkenhead Market to temporary site ditched

Plans to move Birkenhead Market to a temporary site have been ditched by Wirral Council after a long battle with traders.

Throughout this year, the local authority’s plan to move the historic market to St Werburghs Square temporarily, before a new permanent site is completed, has faced strong opposition.

Earlier this year, Wirral Council said the market would move to a temporary site at St Werburghs Square in 2022 for at least three years, before a new permanent site was ready.

Concerns over closing time extension for Gino D’Acampo Sky Bar

Proposals for Gino D’Acampo’s new Liverpool restaurant to remain open until 03:00 on weekends have been hit with a backlash from neighbours.

A number of residents said they were concerned that the late opening would expose them to high levels of noise as well as anti-social behaviour.

The restaurant is in the new INNSiDE Liverpool hotel in the former Liverpool ECHO building on Old Hall Street.

The hotel opened in September following extensive renovations to the building after the ECHO’s move to new offices across the road in 2018.

The 17-floor development includes the city’s second Gino D’Acampo restaurant which has a sky bar.