Health Impact Assessment & Sustainable Development

John WilcoxHealth Improvement TeamWakefield Council

Public Health

Council

Third Sector

WiderPublic Sector

PrivateSector

PlanningSport

Env Health

Libraries

Public Health

Council

Third Sector

WiderPublic Sector

PrivateSector

Wakefield Council Health Improvement Team

My Role• To influence and support other council

departments and partners to deliver public health outcomes. (e.g. wider determinants of health, health inequalities)

Health & Social Care Act (2012)

The Health & Social Care Act (2012) gave upper tier and unitary authorities new duties and responsibilities for health improvement and health protection.

The Act requiring Local Authorities to use “all the levers at their disposal to improve health and wellbeing.” The promotion and protection of health and wellbeing being embedded throughout all their directorates and functions, including spatial planning and development management.

Source: The new public health role of local authorities, Department of Health, October 2012

Public Health

Council

Third Sector

WiderPublic Sector

PrivateSector

Planning

Planning and Health

• Encourage and support planners, developers, politicians to consider the impact of new development schemes on health and wellbeing

• In particular on wider determinants of health.

Source: Dahlgren and Whitehead

Planning & Health Impact Assessment Framework• HIA Framework Developed by PH to:

– Ensure planners and developers adequately consider the impacts of development schemes on the wider determinants of health and wellbeing.

Planning & Health Impact Assessment Framework

Who?• Planners• Developers

What?• Identify potential and perceived health impacts

(+/-)• Recommend how positive impacts might be

increased and negative impacts reduced

Engagement

Public Health: “We are here to support you (Planners/Developers) to consider the impact of new development schemes on health and wellbeing”

Planner: “We already do that.”

Developer: “What’s that got to do with me.”

National Planning Policy Framework (2012)

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the Government's planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied.

NPPF states:• The planning system has an important role to play in

creating healthy communities.• The purpose of planning is to help achieve sustainable

development• A presumption in favour of sustainable development is at

the very “heart” of the planning system.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable means ensuring that better lives for ourselves don’t mean worse lives for future generations.

Development means growth.

Source: NPPF Ministerial foreword

Sustainable Development

There are three dimensions to sustainable development:

– Economic– Social– Environmental

These dimensions are mutually dependent and should not be taken in isolation

Sustainable Development

Health SpeakTranslator 2000

Sustainable Development

WiderDeterminants

Of Health

Health Planning

Health Impact Assessment

The Health Impact Assessment at tool to:• Ensure the impacts of development schemes on

the wider determinants of health and wellbeing are adequately considered

• Enable developers and planner to demonstrate that a particular scheme is a sustainable development, highlighting how it will protect and promote health, or at the very least do no harm.

Has it worked?

Has the HIA for Planning Framework made a difference to:

– Attitudes, awareness and knowledge?– Culture and practice?– Developments?– Health and wellbeing?

Discussion Points

1) Do you consider the wider determinants of health and sustainable development to be the same?

2) Is HIA the most appropriate tool for supporting sustainable development?

a) What are its advantages/disadvantages?

b) What other alternative approaches are there?

3) How can the sustainable development be evidenced?