Issue and Options 2023

9: A healthy, safe and inclusive South Warwickshire

Chapter 9 sets out various options regarding health, safety and inclusivity. Your views are sought on the following issues:

• Issue W1: Pollution
• Issue W2: Health Impact Assessments for major development
• Issue W3: Ensuring the built environment provides healthy and inclusive communities
• Issue W4: Public Open Space for leisure and informal recreation

There is a lot of evidence which suggests that the places in which people live and work can have a profound influence over their physical and mental health. A paper written by Public Health England 'Getting research into practice A resource for local authorities on planning healthier places' suggests that poor health and illness is influenced by the environment in which people live. The environmental factors that influence health are known as wider determinants of health. Spatial planning can help to improve environments including creating places which are easier for people to be physically active in their daily routines and throughout their lifetime. Planning is important in helping to support strong, vibrant, healthy and equitable communities and good planning can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing. Where there are opportunities for active travel, this can help to deliver several health benefits to residents as well as enabling people to build exercise into their daily routines.

Chapter 8 of the National Planning Policy Framework sets out how planning policies and decision should help to achieve healthy, safe, and inclusive places.

At the initial Scoping and Call for Sites consultation stage, an initial HIA screening was undertaken to determine whether a HIA would be required on the Local Plan. The stage at which the HIA process should begin is at the Preferred Options stage as the Plan will contain detailed policies which can be screened and assessed against several criteria in order to determine whether they are likely to have a health impact. If the policy is likely to have an impact on health those policies can be evaluated against a set of outcomes which will be agreed jointly between the Council and Public Health.

Issue W1: Pollution

Air quality is a particular issue in several locations within Warwick and Stratford District and some of these have been declared as Air Quality Management Areas. Transport is one of the biggest causes in these areas and this can lead to impacts on health. There is already a high level of increased road traffic which leads to health impacts such as air pollution and noise pollution. There are challenges for those residents living in rural areas as they are very much car dependent, sometimes with poor digital connectivity. Air pollution is not the only type of pollution that can cause issues. Consideration should also be given to noise and light pollution as these can cause harm to not only humans but also animals.

Air quality issues relating to transport can have a disproportionate impact on areas that have a high level of deprivation. Planning Policy can help to address these by looking at issues such as edge of town centres/key road corridors into towns, increases in traffic and congestion leading to poor air quality and health and safety impacts within communities. It is possible that Air Quality may be considered as part of an Environmental Net Gain policy, for more information on this please refer to section 'Issue B5: Environmental Net Gain'.

Current adopted policy

Issue W2: Health Impact Assessments for major development

As well as a HIA of the policies at Preferred Options stage, consideration should be given to major planning proposals and whether applications for these should require a Health Impact Assessment to be submitted.

National Planning Policy Guidance refers to HIA's as a useful planning tool as they can help to address any major impacts that major development proposals may have on the health and wellbeing of the population Healthy and safe communities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). This is also backed up by recent National Government Guidance published in 2020 on the use of Health Impact Assessments Health Impact Assessment in spatial planning - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Current adopted policy

Issue W3: Ensuring the built environment provides healthy and inclusive communities

The Council recognises the important role that spatial planning has in the creation of healthy, safe, and inclusive communities and that the places that we live in have a fundamental impact on health. Many of the policies of this Plan will have an impact on these matters, so it is important that community needs are supported through the provision of appropriate physical and social infrastructure. Facilities and services that contribute to improving people's overall quality of life and their physical and mental health and well-being should be included, for example community facilities not only for social purposes but also as places where people can go should there be extreme weather conditions such as flooding or heatwaves.

Another important factor that can support healthy lifestyles is ensuring that sufficient land is made available to all for play, sport and recreation. Good access to open space can also facilitate social inclusion by bringing groups together also reducing isolation and loneliness in communities.

Levels of crime and disorder are important factors in determining where people want to live. Everyone should be able to feel safe in their surroundings as this is a key contributor to people's quality of life and a fundamental element of community cohesion. Well-designed places will help people to feel safe and secure and safety is identified as a key component of the design principles policy (see Chapter 8), in line with the principles identified in para 130 of the NPPF.

Current adopted policy

Issue W4: Public Open Space for leisure and informal recreation

Public Open Spaces, in whatever form they come, are valuable community assets that have significant benefits for people's health and wellbeing, as well as additional environmental and economic benefits such as cultural enjoyment and tourism. In line with the policies contained within the NPPF it will be necessary for the South Warwickshire Local Plan to consider the provision of public open space, and to ensure there is enough space for people to spend time in, whether this be for leisure or recreational purposes. Public open space can come in many forms, some of which include:

• Amenity Green Space
• Children and Young Peoples Equipped Play Facilities
• Parks and Gardens
• Unrestricted Natural Accessible Greenspace and Natural Areas (including woodland)
• Allotments, Community Gardens/Orchards, Urban Farms
• Outdoor Sport/Recreation Grounds

A special mention should also be made for blue corridors such as rivers and canals, which can provides space for people to spend time outside and often provide direct routes for active travel. The existing Core Strategy and Local Plan policies both address the need to create open space for people in order to improve access, promote healthy and active communities, and improve quality of life, and both plans set out specific thresholds and requirements. Public Open space will be addressed as the plan progresses, however it is not considered a strategic issue to address within part 1. Further evidence will need to be collated to determine the level of need within the Local Plan Area, and until this is determined, current thresholds will be carried forward. Given the length of the plan period it is possible that the Public Open space requirements will change, and thus it will be important that the policy is flexible enough to reflect any changes to the need, as identified through the evolving evidence base.

Current Adopted Policy