JUNK food could be banned from being sold near Trafford schools to help cut child obesity.

The move marks the first crackdown of its kind in the borough and is aimed at preventing pupils having access to fast food before and after lessons.

The proposal comes after statistics from Public Health England revealed that 17 per cent of children aged 10 and 11 – and 7.2 per cent of those aged five – in Trafford are classed as clinically obese.

If the council’s plan is agreed this week, takeaways could be prevented from opening within 400 metres – or 10 minutes’ walk – of a school. If they don't comply, the takeaways could have their opening times restricted.

In order to impose the scheme, a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) must be drawn-up so that it can inform the authority’s Local Plan and planning applications.

Currently, out of the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester, just Bury, Stockport and Tameside do not have an SPD in place.

While Trafford and Wigan do have a document, it does not include a policy on healthy eating and school children.

The report is due to be discussed by members of Trafford council’s health and wellbeing board on Friday.

It stated that since the introduction of Oldham’s SPD, the authority has received 39 planning applications from people wanting to open a takeaway – 16 were granted and 23 refused.

Meanwhile, Manchester Council has begun restricting the opening times of some takeaways when deciding on planning applications.

“Other authorities have also adopted a healthy eating policy within their SPD,” stated the Trafford report.

“Many focus on a 400m exclusion zone from secondary schools, colleges and or restricted operating hours.

“However some authorities have used variations of this such as a 10 minute walk from school gates or increased the boundary area to include youth facilities and parks.”