3.39 The places where we live and work have a significant impact on how easy it is for people to live healthy lives, and influence our health outcomes. Therefore, the Local Plan offers an opportunity to shape development to create health-promoting and inclusive places.
3.40 There is a clear emphasis throughout national policy and guidance on health and wellbeing in planning and placemaking. The NPPF states that planning policy should promote health and wellbeing. Section 8: Promoting healthy and safe communities outlines that this should be achieved through the following:
- Promoting social interaction
- Making spaces safe and accessible
- Creating places that enable and support healthy lifestyles
National guidance recognises health as a cross-cutting issue, which connects with and can be promoted by many policy areas within the Local Plan.
3.41 Key priorities of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2023) are to strengthen compassionate and healthy communities and create health-promoting places. This includes utilising the Local Plan as an opportunity to shape, promote and deliver healthy and sustainable places and reduce inequalities. It also includes developing the infrastructure needed to build strong local communities and encourage proactive engagement in healthy lifestyles at all ages.
At the end of this chapter there is an opportunity to comment on the key needs we have identified