The development of Christchurch's first Taco Bell fast-food restaurant is raising concerns with health experts
It'll be the fifth fast-food restaurant to be built across the road from Linwood Ave Primary School.
"What it shows is that the Resource Management Act really enables economic development to take precedent over the health and well-being of our local communities," Christchurch City councillor Yani Johanson told Newshub.
"There is no way that another fast-food outlet should be going into this area in one of the poorest areas of New Zealand."
Linwood Ave School released a statement to Newshub saying the school community has constant temptation at the gate, dealing with the aroma of the food wafting over the school on a daily basis.
The school went on to say it would like to know how many other schools in New Zealand have this number of fast-food restaurants on their doorstep.
Local Linwood GP Jane Heatherington is seeing the consequences of fast-food consumption daily.
"We're dealing with young diabetes and young heart disease in young people that should be healthy and working," she said.
In a statement, Taco Bell said the location was picked due to the strength of the retail shopping centre and location strategy, but it has a policy to not market directly to children - despite being directly opposite a primary school.
Former boxer and life coach Dave Letele is helping people fight obesity every day.
"They [fast food chain] understand that all the most profitable stores are all in the most deprived areas," Letele said.
"It's just setting them up for a lifetime of pain, suffering... It's just the cycle continuing. How can you break the cycle when we're constantly being targeted by these people?"
