Council breaks own ‘no-fry zone’ rule with go-ahead for takeaway by school

A council that won an award for its trailblazing decision to introduce “no-fry zones” around schools has broken its own rule a fortnight later by granting permission for a takeaway to open.

Wicklow County Council set the bar for the rest of the country after pressure from local campaigners to set up exclusion zones prohibiting fast food outlets from locating within 400m of schools and playgrounds.

The move followed an intensive campaign by the No Fry Zone 4 Kids group which successfully fought plans to build a McDonalds restaurant 30m from the grounds of three schools in Greystones.