Solihull Local Plan (Draft Submission) 2020
Health & Supporting Local Communities
Introduction
- The built and natural environment is a key determinant of health and wellbeing. The NPPF states that one of the three overarching objectives of the planning system is supporting strong, vibrant and healthy communities. It includes specific requirements for planning policies and decisions to promote healthy, inclusive and safe places. The Health and Social Care Act (2012) gave local authorities new duties and responsibilities for health improvement and requires every local authority to use all the levers at its disposal to improve health and wellbeing, and the Local Plan is one such lever.
- The health of Solihull residents is generally good and is getting better. However, good health is not consistent across the borough, and the health of some of our residents, particularly in the most deprived neighbourhoods, is significantly below an acceptable level. The numbers of older age residents within Solihull is increasing and the need to address the challenges of climate change has been intensified.
- Ever-increasing research indicates that the environment in which we live is inextricably linked to our health across the life course. The role of the built and natural environment in shaping the social, economic and environmental circumstances that determine health is increasingly recognised and understood.
- A healthy community is one which supports healthy behaviours and enhances people's physical and mental health. Many health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, stress and poor mental health have been linked to the environments in which people live and work, whilst contact with the natural environment enhances both physical and mental health.
- The Local Plan provides opportunities to increase and enhance facilities and enable greater participation in physical activity including play, sport and recreation, as well as improving a network of high quality provision across the Borough. Wider community use of sports and recreation provision on new school sites will be promoted to make an efficient use of land and locate facilities in the most accessible places.
- The Council is committed to improving health and wellbeing in Solihull and the Local Plan has a key role to play in implementing strategies to help people lead healthier, active lifestyles. Many of the policies in the Local Plan will have an impact on health and wellbeing and in drafting the local plan policies, this has been given due consideration to ensure that, the overall impact of any new development should result in positive health outcomes.
- The Local Plan contributes to supporting communities and promotes health through its spatial strategy and policies. These include policies relating to the location of new development, sustainable development, infrastructure, provision of new homes, jobs, town centres and sustainable travel (promoting public transport, walking and cycling). These policies demonstrate that improved health outcomes are integral to the local plan and meeting its vision and objectives.
(21)Policy P18 Health and Wellbeing
- The Council will, with its partners, create an environment, which supports positive health outcomes and reduces inequality.
- All new developments will be expected to promote, support and enhance physical and mental health and wellbeing. Healthy lifestyles will be enabled by:
- Facilitating opportunities for formal and informal physical activity, exercise opportunities, recreation and play through access to well- maintained open spaces, that take account of the different needs of the diverse population;
- Delivering high quality, inclusive and attractive environments which minimise and mitigate against potential harm from risks such as pollution and obesogenic environments, and promoting health and wellbeing & opportunities for social interaction;
- Increasing opportunities for active travel including walking, cycling and encouraging more sustainable travel choices.
- Improving the quality and access to the strategic and local green infrastructure network in the Borough and accessible open spaces, including playing pitches, particularly in areas where accessible green spaces and infrastructure is identified as lacking.
- Supporting safe and inclusive design that discourage crime and anti-social behaviour, and encourage social cohesion.
- Delivering new and improved health services and facilities in areas accessed by sustainable transport modes (facilities for primary medical care should be identified and planned for);
- Supporting initiatives which enable or improve access to healthy food. Forexample, provide opportunities for growing local produce and encouraging people to make healthy food choices;
- Encouraging initiatives to promote the energy efficiency of new and existing housing;
- Retaining, increasing and enhancing green infrastructure within developments including green spaces, planting, trees, open spaces and soft surfaces, in order to secure a variety of spaces for residents, visitors or employees to use and observe.
Hot Food Takeaways
- Proposals for hot food takeaways, or premises which will provide an element of hot food takeaway alongside other supporting uses, should not lead to an overconcentration of such uses within any one individual locality by overly dominating the street scene or have an adverse impact on the standard of amenity for existing and future occupants of land and buildings. It is also appropriate to control the number of outlets where there are concerns regarding levels of obesity.
- Applications for hot food takeaways will be based on the following factors:
- Within the three main town centres, no more than 15% of the units will be in use as a hot food takeaway;
- Within local centres and local parades, no more than 10% of the units will be in use as a hot food takeaway;
- At all locations no more than 2 hot food takeaways should be located adjacent each other.
- Applications for hot food takeaways will not be granted within a 400m radius from an entrance to a primary or secondary school, youth centre or similar location.
Health Impact Assessment (HIA)
- All development proposals that may have a significant impact on health and wellbeing will be required to submit an assessment of the potential health impacts. The extent of the assessment undertaken will depend on the type, scale and location of the proposed development.
- HIA Screening should be completed for:
- Developments which include uses for education, health, leisure and/or community facilities;
- Changes of use to Pubs and Drinking establishments, Hot food takeaways, C1 (Hotels), C2 (Residential Institutions), C2A (Secure Residential Institutions), betting offices/shops and pay day loan shops;
- Proposals that may affect sensitive or vulnerable populations;
- Other relevant proposals as requested by the local authority.
- 8. A Rapid Health Impact assessment (HIA) should be undertaken for:
- Major residential (C2 and C3) developments where the provision of dwelling houses is 50 or more;
- The provision of a non-residential building or buildings where the floor space created by the development is 1,000 square metres or more;
- Waste development and the winning and working of minerals or the use of land for mineral working deposits;
- Proposals for hot food takeaways (as defined by the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended));
- Other relevant proposals as requested by the local authority.
- A Full Health Impact Assessment should be undertaken for:
- Major residential (C2 and C3) developments where the provision of dwelling houses is 150 or more;
- The provision of a non-residential building or buildings where the area of development exceeds 5 hectares;
- Other relevant proposals as requested by the local authority.
- All HIAs and HIA Screening shall be undertaken in accordance with the Council's Health Supplementary Planning Document. The HIA and HIA Screening will be a material consideration in the determination of the planning application. Where significant negative impacts on health and wellbeing are identified, the Council will require applicants to mitigate for such impacts, in order to make the proposal acceptable The Council may use planning conditions and/or developer contributions to achieve this and also to ensure any significant positive identified impacts are realised.
Justification
- The Marmot Review (February 2010) highlighted that socio-economic inequalities, including the built environment, have a clear effect on the health outcomes of the population. One of the key policy objectives aimed at reducing the gap in life expectancy between people of lower and higher socio-economic backgrounds, is to "create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities". In February 2020 The Institute of Health Equity published The Health Foundation: 'Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 Years On', the report highlights that poor health is increasing, the health gap has grown between wealthy and deprived areas and that place matters to health.
- The NPPF (updated February 2019) promotes the role of planning to create healthy and safe communities by supporting local strategies to improve health, social and cultural wellbeing for all. It also encourages applicants to engage early and proactively with the community and other consultees. It states that planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places which promote social interaction, are safe and accessible and enable and support healthy lifestyles.
- Additional guidance in the NPPG Healthy and Safe Communities (updated November 2019) highlights the importance of planning in improving health and wellbeing. The Guidance states that the Director of Public Health should be consulted on any planning applications that are likely to have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of the local population or particular groups within it. Also that a health impact assessment is a useful tool to use where there are expected to be significant impacts.
- The Solihull Council Plan for 2020-2025 sits in the context of the Solihull Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan. The plan is based on the belief that economic development, environmental sustainability and health and wellbeing must go hand in hand. This is reflected in the nine priorities of the plan set within the themes of economy, environment and people and communities. These priorities are all linked to improving health and wellbeing within the Borough and a particular focus is the need to focus on health inequalities in Solihull and the actions that can be taken.
- The Solihull Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2019-22) is published by Solihull Health and Wellbeing Board. The main purpose of the Board is to provide a forum in which key leaders from the local health and care system work together to improve the health and wellbeing of their local population from pre-birth to end of life. The Strategy is developed using various sources of information, including the JSNA and focuses on a small number of priorities.
- Planning has a key role in shaping the wider determinants of health and wellbeing; at a local and strategic scale. A wide range of social, economic and environmental factors, over which individuals often have little control, influences a person's health. This is summarised in the diagram below (reproduced with permission from Barton & Grant).
- The Council recognises the positive benefits that access to green infrastructure, physical activity, exercise opportunities, recreation and play have on both physical and mental health, as well as child development. The availability of a variety of high quality and accessible open spaces and play, sports and leisure facilities is vital to enabling opportunities for formal and informal sport and recreation, both indoor and outdoor, in order to improve health and wellbeing. The multi-functional benefits of green infrastructure extend beyond a place for outdoor pursuits and enjoyment of visual amenity. It can create a healthier environment by filtering pollutants, attenuating noise pollution, decreasing the urban heat island effect, reducing flood risk impacts and providing opportunities to interact with nature.
- Evidence from the Solihull Joint Strategic Needs Assessment highlights that more affluent areas of the Borough tend to be less physically active through 'lifestyle activities' such as walking and carrying shopping, partly due to higher car ownership levels and car use. An increased emphasis on walking and cycling, in addition to providing opportunities for physical activity, also contributes to improved air quality.
- In order to assess potential health impacts early in the development process, significant proposals should include a Health Impact Assessment or equivalent. This could include supporting evidence where requirements are being explicitly met through some other means, such as a sustainability statement or environmental impact assessment (EIA). Where significant adverse impacts are identified and unavoidable, measures to mitigate or compensate for these will be provided.
- Poor quality neighbourhoods can impact negatively on the health and wellbeing of those who live in them and the quality and design of the built environment and wider public realm has an impact on whether and how people use a place. High quality and well-designed buildings and spaces which have safe, attractive and convenient access can encourage social interaction, reduce crime and fear of crime and influence travel mode, thereby having a positive effect on health and wellbeing.
- The provision of appropriate, well designed, secure, affordable and energy efficient housing is essential in securing improvements to people's health and wellbeing. Solihull's ageing population is likely to lead to increasing problems with ill-health from poorly insulated and damp properties which are expensive to heat. In conjunction with Policy P4 'Meeting Housing Needs' and Policy P15 'Securing Design Quality', developments which address these issues and mitigate some of the health impacts of an ageing population will be supported. Provision of and access to health facilities and services has a direct effect on health. It is therefore crucial to ensure that health care is available and accessible to those who need it.
- Poor diet is a significant factor in obesity and associated poor health. Some parts of Solihull, particularly in the northern part of the Borough, have high levels of obesity amongst children and adults and also have a high proportion of certain food and drink uses, which can detract from a diversity of services in those areas. In particular, a high concentration of hot food takeaways in certain areas, or proposals that are not appropriately located, can result in an undue influence on poor choice of diet that in turn contributes to a wide range of health issues (e.g. obesity, diabetes, etc.). In addition such proposals can lead to increased levels of environmental health issues (odour and litter issues; and anti-social behaviour).
- In parades or frontages which have fewer than 10 commercial units, one hot food takeaway use may be permitted subject to meeting other policy considerations, e.g. where there is no adverse impacts on the amenity of residents or neighbouring business.
Challenges and Objectives Addressed by the Policy
A Mitigating and adapting to climate change
C Sustaining the attractiveness of the Borough for people who live, work and invest in Solihull
F Reducing inequalities in the Borough
H Increasing accessibility and encouraging sustainable travel
J Improving health and well being
K Protecting and enhancing our natural assets
(4)Policy P19 Range and Quality of Local Services
Designated district & local centres.
- These include: Knowle, Dorridge, Castle Bromwich, Marston Green, Balsall Common, Hobs Moat, Kingshurst Village Centre, Smiths Wood Village Centre, Chelmund's Cross Village Centre, Dickens Heath, Hatchford Brook, Shelly Farm, Meriden and Olton.
- Proposals within these centres should reflect the scale, character and nature of the centre's role and function in serving local needs. Proposals should provide an opportunity to reduce the need to travel; sustain the economic viability and vitality of the centre and make effective and efficient use of existing premises or land. .
- All new development will need to be sensitive to local character and enhance the public realm.
Parades and Local Shops
- Whilst Local parades and shops may not form part of district or local centres, they do provide an important community resource for local people. As such proposals which result in the loss of local shops, without appropriate alternative provision will not be supported, unless it is has been demonstrated that there is no reasonable prospect of the use being retained.
Other Community and Social Infrastructure
- Proposals which result in the loss of community and social infrastructure, without appropriate alternative provision, will not be supported, unless:
- It has been demonstrated that there is no reasonable prospect of the use being retained;
- There is evidence that the premises is no longer needed to support community activity;
- The loss of the facility is demonstrated to be part of a strategic approach to service rationalisation and improvement in the quality of offer.
- Proposals for the delivery of new social and community infrastructure should be focused towards designated centres or alongside existing community assets such as schools, health centres or community halls. This will support the creation of community hubs, encouraging linked trip, community cohesion and reducing the need to travel.
- Standalone proposals will be considered on a case by case basis having regard to the wider policies of this plan with a specific focus on:
- The availability of parking provision and wider highway impacts;
- Accessibility by a range of transport modes, including sustainable and active travel routes;
- Expected noise generation from the facility;
- Any other impacts on the amenity of surrounding residential properties or commercial operations
Justification
- District Centres provide services and goods to their local communities and in the hierarchy of town centres are second tier to the main town centres of Solihull, Shirley and Chelmsley Wood. Castle Bromwich has been identified as the only District Centre in the Borough, the centres in Knowle, Dorridge, Balsall Common, Kingshurst Village, Smiths Wood Village and Chelmund's Cross Village function as 'local centres' which service the communities immediately around them and reduce the need to travel for staple purchases.
- Local Centres typically include a convenience shop or a small supermarket; they may also have newsagents, pharmacy, local café/restaurants, hot food takeaways, small office and may also be a popular location for independent retailers.
- In terms of function, local centres add considerably to the quality of life, and the Council considers it is important to retain the vitality of the local centres, even though permitted development rights mean the Council now has limited control over changes of use.
- Solihull has a number of local centres of varying size which act as a focus and provide key services for the communities they serve (which can also include the surrounding rural area of those centres outside the conurbation).
- While shopping habits change and evolve, the Council will enable a broad range of facilities of a suitable scale in local centres and will expect good design that respects local character and enhances the local public realm.
- There are numerous local parades and freestanding small shops throughout the Borough. Local parades and shops provide for the day to day needs, as well as offering a place for informal interaction and thereby contributing to health and wellbeing of the community. The Council will seek to sustain and encourage these valued facilities and services, particularly in rural areas where this would reduce the ability of the community to meet its day to day needs.
- Small scale local shops and services providing for local needs on a daily basis can be particularly important in rural areas where access to larger centres may be more difficult without car access.
- Where proposals are submitted that would lead to the loss of local facilities without there being appropriate alternative provision, it will be expected that applicants will demonstrate that there is no reasonable prospect of the use being retained. This may include demonstrating that the premises have been appropriately marketed to retain the existing use.
- The provision of facilities will be expected to support sustainable development principles and meet the requirements of other relevant parts of the plan, including Policy P15 that seeks to secure design quality.
Challenges and Objectives Addressed by the Policy
C Sustaining the attractiveness of the Borough for people who live, work and invest in Solihull
D Securing sustainable economic growth
F Reducing inequalities in the Borough
H Increasing accessibility and encouraging sustainable travel
(18)Policy P20 Provision for Open Space, Childrens Play, Sport, Recreation and Leisure
- Existing public open space, children's play, sports and recreational facilities:
- The Council recognises the value of public open space for the health and wellbeing of communities, as integral to the character and visual amenity of local areas and for their contribution to the natural capital of the Borough. The Council will support proposals which will contribute towards a network of high quality provision as new and/or enhanced recreational facilities; children's play and open space.
- Existing facilities that are of value to the local community for recreation, play, sports, visual amenity, nature conservation or that make an important contribution to the quality of the natural and historic environment or network of green infrastructure will be protected, unless:
- it can be evidenced clearly that the open space or facilities are surplus to requirements and are no longer required to meet local need;
- the land does not fulfil a useful purpose in terms of its appearance, landscape quality, recreational use, wildlife value or climate change mitigation/adaptation;
- the land does not host an element of semi-natural habitat useful in creating a stepping stone, or wildlife corridor to another habitat or any other feature of value to wildlife to a greater extent than would be the case if it was planted as a garden. In some cases, the continued protection of the land as open, natural garden land and type of enclosure may be regulated by conditions;
- the proposed development provides equivalent or better replacement open space, sport, or recreation facilities in size, quality and accessibility within an accessible location for existing and potential new users; or
- the development results in a substantial community, recreational, play or sports benefit that clearly outweighs the harm resulting from the loss of the existing open space/facilities.
- Where existing provision is not being protected then the Council will require appropriate compensatory measures. The alternative provision should be at least the equivalent in terms of size, quality, accessibility, use, visual amenity, natural capital value, and supported by a management plan to ensure ongoing viability of provision. The creation of new and/or Enhancement of open space or buildings shall be in accordance with Policy P15 – Securing Design Quality and Policy P10 – Natural Environment.
- The Council supports the principle of designating land as Local Green Space, including designation within Neighbourhood Plans. Where designation would be appropriate, necessary and where the open space meets the criteria outlined in national guidance.
- In this plan the following sites (as shown on the policies plan) are designated as Local Green Spaces:
- Land between Old Waste lane and Waste Lane, Balsall Common
- Land south of Shirley
Provision of new public open space, children's play, sports and recreational facilities:
- New housing developments will be required to provide or contribute towards new open spaces or the improvement of existing provision in the area, in line with the minimum standard of 3.57ha per 1,000 population..
- The Council will seek to secure well-designed new and improved open space and their maintenance as an integral part of new residential (including care homes), commercial (over 1ha or 1,000 sqm) or mixed use development.
- New housing developments will be required to provide or contribute towards new open spaces or the improvement of existing provision in the area, unless financial unviability is clearly demonstrated.
- In areas where an existing local open space provision shortfall is identified, new or improved provision to accommodate the needs of the new and existing population should accord with the local standards and priorities for action outlined in the adopted Green Spaces Strategy (reviewed 2014) and future revisions, the Indoor Sports Facilities Strategy and Playing Pitch Strategy (including the Playing Pitch Mitigation Strategy) and any future revisions thereof.
- Where the minimum standard for children's play and youth facilities is already met, developments will be expected to provide additional enhancements as a result of development.
- To ensure a high quality living environment for all new residential development, including supported housing schemes [for the elderly and those with disabilities], provision should be made for on-site amenity space that is well designed and in accordance with Policy P15 – Securing Design Quality. Proposals for family housing will be expected to provide opportunities for safe children's play in accordance with the Design for Play and the Free Play Network's 10 Design Principles.
Provision of new indoor sports and leisure facilities
- The Council will support proposals for new or improved sports and leisure facilities providing that the development:
- Addresses any shortfall in provision outlined in relevant Council strategies and policies (e.g. the Indoor Sports Facilities Strategy or the adopted Green Spaces Strategy (reviewed 2014)) (or any relevant national sporting federation strategy) and accords with Sports England's Active Design guidance;
- Reflects the 'town centre first' principle outlined in national guidance and is of a scale and size appropriate to the hierarchy of Town Centres as defined in Policies P1 – Support Economic Success, P2 – Maintain Strong Competitive Town Centres, and P19 – Range and Quality of Local Services;
- Is situated within an accessible location as defined in Policy P7 – Accessibility, where the development is easily accessible to the local community and is well served, or is capable of being well served, by public transport, walking and cycling; and
- Accords with Policies P14 & P17. – Amenity, P16 – Conservation of Heritage Assets and Local Distinctiveness and P17– Countryside and Green Belt.
- Subject to the above criteria, the Council will support proposals for shared sports facilities at educational centres, where the facility also serves the local area.
Waterways
- The Council will support proposals that encourage greater recreational and leisure use, such as walking and cycling; and enhancement of the river and canal network providing that the development safeguards the historic and natural environment and purposes of the Green Belt, in accordance with Policies P10 – Natural Environment, P16 – Conservation of Heritage Assets and Local Distinctiveness and P17 – Countryside and Green Belt.
Justification
- Open space is defined in the glossary of the NPPF as "all open space of public value including not just land, but also areas of water (such as rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs) which offer important opportunities for sport and recreation and can act as a visual amenity."
- Open spaces include green spaces such as parks and allotments, natural habitats, playground and amenity space.
- Publically accessible open spaces are a key component of the Borough's multifunctional green infrastructure network. They have many roles including providing for recreation and physical activity; encouraging social interactions; promoting physical and mental health and wellbeing and quality of life; providing facilities for a child's development; encouraging walking and cycling; reducing flood risk; and safeguarding biodiversity. They are essential to promoting and facilitating healthy lifestyles, benefitting wellbeing and a key component of the quality and visual amenity of the local character of areas. Furthermore, open spaces, in particular natural green spaces, are a vital part of the Borough's natural capital and key feature of the biodiversity and ecology of Solihull.
- The loss of open spaces can not only lead to longer journeys for sports and recreation, potentially limiting the health benefits of open spaces and opportunities for the community to meet and participate in local life but may adversely impact on creating strong, vibrant communities, and affect inward investment into an area.
- The Open Space Assessment recommends a minimum standard of 3.57ha of open space per 1,000 population, that is accessible and of high quality. Further detail on open space provision associated with development sites will be contained within the Council's forthcoming Open Space SPD.
- National Planning Guidance is clear that existing open spaces, sports and recreational buildings or land should not be built on unless development proposals meet the exceptions set out in the NPPF. Policy P20 advocates strong protection of open space, sports and recreational facilities, and where proposed development would result in the loss of a facility or area of open space, the policy requires appropriate compensation for the loss. Such compensatory measures could include re-provision or the enhancement of existing open space or facilities, and be in accordance with the priorities for action outlined in adopted Council strategies such as the Green Spaces Strategy (reviewed 2014). Playing Pitch Strategy (2019) and Mitigation Strategy (2020).
- Local Green Space (LGS) designation in the NPPF allows local communities to identify areas of local green space which should be provided special protection. LGS can only be designated when a Local Plan or Neighbourhood Plan is prepared or reviewed. The existing Local Plan seeks to protect open space, which has specific importance to a local community and development will be restricted on such land unless exceptional circumstances are provided. Where land is designated as LGS, it will need to be consistent with the wider planning policy for the area and look to complement investment in the provision of news homes, employment and other services.
- The following sites have been designated as Local Green Spaces in accordance with paragraph 100 of the NPPF:
- Land between Old Waste Lane and Waste Lane, Balsall Common
- Land south of Shirley
- The importance of these sites has been highlighted through their proximity to sites being allocated for development, or previously considered for such. This list will be kept open and there is opportunity for future plan reviews to include other sites (including those areas of open space being provided within site allocations), or for Neighbourhood Plans to identify such sites. Any proposals for development of these sites will be judged by the Green Belt policies of the NPPF and Policy P20 of this plan in accordance with paragraph 101 of the NPPF.
- The policy also seeks to ensure that new development integrates open space, sports and recreational facilities into the design of the scheme to ensure a high quality environment or contributes to the Green Infrastructure network. In particular, and to address issues with childhood obesity within the Borough, proposals for family housing will be expected to provide opportunities for safe children's play, such as gardens and enhance existing play and youth facilities. Proposals for new indoor sports and leisure facilities should address any existing shortfalls in provision and be directed to centres and the most accessible locations within the Borough. In order to make the best use of community assets, new and enhanced sports provision in schools should be made available for wider community use where feasible.
- The major rivers within the Borough, alongside the canal network, have an important role in the Borough's local distinctiveness, biodiversity, adaptation to climate change, leisure and recreation and tourism potential. The rivers and canals can be a particular draw for people, both residents and visitors, who are looking for quite enjoyment of them, with pastimes like narrow boating, fishing, walking or wildlife observation. While development near to these water courses will be restricted, since much of the watercourses are located within the Green Belt, proposals, sensitive to the local character and that encourage greater recreational use and enhancement of the 'blue' network will, where appropriate, be considered favourably.
Challenges and Objectives Addressed by the Policy
A Mitigating and adapting to Climate Change
C Sustaining the attractiveness of the Borough for people who live, work and invest in Solihull
D Securing sustainable economic growth
E Protecting key gaps between urban areas and settlements
F Reducing inequalities in the Borough
H Increasing accessibility and encouraging sustainable travel
J Improving health and well being
K Protecting and enhancing our natural assets
L Water quality and flood risk