Michael Chang, Project and Policy Manager for the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA)

1. Michael Chang, Project and Policy Manager, Town and Country
Planning Association (TCPA)
www.tcpa.org.uk/pages/health.html
@CulturePlanning
TCPA Reuniting Health with Planning
and links to the Network

2. Founded as the Garden Cities Association in 1899 by Sir Ebenezer
Howard in response to 19th century urban problems.
• Cross-sector/disciplinary membership
organisation
• Planning charity campaigning to improve
the planning systems in accordance with
the principles of sustainable development
• UK and European cross-disciplinary
projects and events on built and natural
environment topics
• Key projects, policy and research on
housing delivery, new communities, urban
policy, climate change and energy, green
infrastructure, public health
• Training programme for planners and non-
planners across UK, Europe, China!

3. How does the TCPA’s work fit into the
Network
to explore and generate
ideas to make best use
of the wealth of data to
inform positive change.

4. The inevitable strain of life can be eased
by good housing conditions, good working
conditions, good opportunity for the
enjoyment of leisure, freedom for proper
rest, with the proper opportunity for fresh
food.
From ‘Health and Garden Cities’, 1938
Norman Macfadyen, TCPA Chair (1929-44) &
Letchworth Garden City’s first medical officer of
health

5. TCPA Projects
Planning, Health & Social Justice

7. How does the Network’s work fit into
planning?
to explore and generate
ideas to make best use
of the wealth of data to
inform positive change.

8. What national policy says about
planning for health/ obesity
Planning Practice Guidance, 2014
Opportunities for healthy lifestyles have been
considered - e.g. planning for an environment that:
• supports people of all ages in making healthy
choices,
• helps to promote active travel and physical
activity, and
• promotes access to healthier food, high quality
open spaces and opportunities for play, sport and
recreation).

9. What national policy says about
health evidence in planning?
National Planning Policy Framework, 2012
Local planning authorities should work with
public health leads and health organisations to
understand and take account of the health
status and needs of the local population (such
as for sports, recreation and places of worship),
including expected future changes, and any
information about relevant barriers to
improving health and well-being.

10. Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
2009 recommendations
• Improving and co-ordinating data sources and
quality:
• Making the best use of the JSNA in planning
decisions
• Using the JSNA in statutory annual monitoring
2015 research – London Boroughs
• 21 (64%) of the Local Plans has the JSNA as part
of the evidence base while 12 (36%) of the Local
Plans do not refer to the JSNA at all.

11. • National planning policy and
guidance
• Housing Needs Assessment
• Strategic Flood Risk maps
• Authority Monitoring Report
• Transport Assessment
• Green Infrastructure/ Open
Space Assessment
• Household projections
• Town Centre Health Checks
• Health needs assessment
• Renewable Energy Capacity
• Affordable Housing Viability
• Urban capacity studies
• Retail Capacity
• Landscape Characterisation
• Infrastructure Delivery
• Summary of public and
stakeholder consultation
• Ministerial statements
Question: are all of any of these
considered evidence?

12. A. Movement and Access
- Travel Plans
- Transport Assessment
B. Open spaces, play, recreation
- Open space strategy
- Sports needs assessment
C. Food
- Locations of food retail
- Allotment provision
D. Neighbourhood spaces
- Infrastructure delivery plan
- Public realm strategy
E. Buildings
-
F. Local economy
Planning Healthy
Weight Environments

13. So what do we need evidence to do?
Local Authorities should have a very clear idea
about:
• what they need evidence for,
• how they are going to use it and
• how much detail they need to go into.
‘What gets measured, gets attention’

14. Collaboration for shared evidence
More than just the statutory Joint
Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)
Worcestershire planning and health
• To inform future planning policy
and decision making across the
county
• Planning for Health workshops
(March, April, June 2015)
• Future opportunities for
secondment for planning in public
health

15. Shared evidence leading to shared
policy actions
- Different approaches using same sources of
evidence – IMD etc
- The key is robust, appropriate and
proportionate evidence as the starting point
- Need holistic action across the whole council
area to stand up to scrutiny
- Support of academia?
- Examples: South Tyneside, Central
Lancashire, Gateshead, Newham, Haringey

16. Examples of shared evidence we
should aim for

17. Examples of policies we should aim for
A. The council will not grant planning permission
for hot food takeaway shops that fall within an
exclusion zone of 400 meters of the boundaries
of (Map XX):
A. Locations where children and young people
congregate
B. Locations where there are high levels of obesity
B. The Council will only consider granting planning
permission for hot food take-away shops outside of
the exclusion zone where:
– XX

18. Shared policy actions leading to
shared outcomes
• A Healthy City
• Healthy Communities
• Improving transport and travel
• Developing a town fit for the 21st Century
• Active County
• Healthy New Town!

19. ACCESSIBILITY
FLOOD RISK
CAR PARKING
GROUND
FLOOR RETAIL
RE-USE EXISTING
BUILDING
ACCESS FOR
ALL
MIXED USE
FACILITY

20. What do we observe about the nature
of evidence?
‘How does the health outcome justify the planning
outcome? At the moment, provision of open space
might facilitate healthy behaviour, but we know
that houses on open space definitely produces
houses, so you have to have the debate around
what is more important for us as a healthy
sustainable city – exercise versus affordable
housing. It’s a matter of understanding why the
council should prioritise differently.’
Planning Manager, North West England

21. TCPA’s aspirations for the Network
to explore and generate
ideas to make best use
of the wealth of data to
inform positive change.

22. Evidence
Policy
Choices
Decision
Question: which approach is sound &
legally compliant?
Decision Evidence
Policy
Choices
Policy
Choices
Evidence Decision

23. Planning is an art…
Landscape
Heritage
Biodiversity
Tourism
Flood Risk
Commuting
Homes
Accessibility
Shops

24. …and a science.

25. “One thing the new – if fiendishly complex –
system seems to be doing is spurring people to
relationships not structures as a way of
building public health strategies and systems.”
Jim McManus, Director of Public Health,
Hertfordshire County Council
Finally.. Building relationships and
exchanging knowledge is crucial

26. For further information please go to
http://www.tcpa.org.uk/pages/health.html
Michael Chang
Michael.Chang@tcpa.org.uk
www.tcpa.org.uk
@CulturePlanning