Over the last three years North Yorkshire Council received £104,000 from vending machines that sell fizzy drinks, crisps and chocolate bars at its leisure centres.
Council-owned leisure centres are there to boost residents’ health and help them keep fit.
But a leading UK obesity organisation has warned this is being undermined by the presence of vending machines that sell unhealthy snacks, often in highly visible places like entrances and in front of changing rooms.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service submitted a freedom of information request to the council asking it how much money each site has made from these vending machines since 2021.
According to the figures we received, Craven Leisure in Skipton has generated the most income at £26,926.
An average 30-minute swim at a council-owned site like Bedale Leisure Centre or Nidderdale Pool in Patelely Bridge would burn 200 calories.
But if it was finished off with a bottle of Coca-Cola, which has 210 calories, these benefits would be cancelled out.
North Yorkshire Council said it also offers healthy food at its leisure centres in cafes.
Some council leisure centres are outsourced to private companies but North Yorkshire Council plans to bring them all in-house. It has pledged to review the use of vending machines during the transition.
Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance told the LDRS that snacks are damaging children’s health in North Yorkshire.
Ms Jenner said:
“Local councils have child health policies because they are eager to make their communities healthier.
"But they must be given their own powers and better funding which would allow them to implement them without having to seek money from companies seeking to undermine child health.
“Stopping vending machines selling kids products like chocolates, sweets, crisps and energy drinks that harm their physical, mental and dental health is common sense.”
According to Public Health England data, over 21% of 4 to 5-year-olds, over 30% of 10 to 11-year-olds and over 60% of adults in North Yorkshire are overweight.
North Yorkshire Council has a strategy to tackle the problem which includes a priority to promote healthy food choices.
Green Party councillor Andy Brown told the LDRS that he was “shocked” by the figures and said the vending machines were “seriously counterproductive.”
He said:
“Amid an obesity crisis our own council thinks it is acceptable to make over £100,000 over the last three years from helping to damage the health of our children.
"Bodies which work on behalf of the community should not be making money out of teaching children bad habits that do serious long-term damage to their health.”
North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive member for leisure, Cllr Simon Myers said:
“We provide a range of vending machines and cafe facilities within our leisure centres, with a variety of options across the various facilities.
"This includes more healthy options to provide choices for customers.
“We will be reviewing the provision going forward as our leisure services are brought in-house.”
A full list of how much money was generated by vending machines at each leisure centre is below:
- Craven Leisure: £26,926
- Stokesley Leisure Centre: 18,041
- Northallerton Leisure Centre: £16,400
- Nidderdale Pool & Leisure Centre: £10,952
- Ripon Leisure Centre: £11,720.
- Bedale Leisure Centre: 7,691.
- Thirsk Leisure Centre: 7,017.
- Knaresborough Pool £2,001.
- Starbeck Baths £1,098.
- Harrogate Hydro £96
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