Health and Local Planning

This page contains a range of collated data, information and background content associated to this local health and town planning:

  • Local Plan Evidence Base Documents: Draft Wirral Local Plan (2023)
    Links to each Local Plan Evidence Base document are displayed in the table below alongside their corresponding reference number. To view any document, please select the relevant study you wish to look at and you will be directed to Wirral Council's website – the evidence base document page will open in a new tab.

  • Interim Health Impact Assessment for Draft Wirral Local Plan (2019)
    This document presents the findings of an interim Health Impact Assessment on the emerging Local Plan and sets out recommendations for embedding health and well-being considerations in the Plan preparation process. HS1.1 Interim Health Impact Assessment 2019

  • Hot Food Takeaway Evidence Base for Draft Wirral Local Plan (2019)
    This document provides evidence to support proposed controls on Hot Food Takeaways (Use Class A5 ) to assist in reducing local obesity levels. HS2.1 Hot Food Takeaway Evidence Base 2019

  • Spatial Planning for Health: An evidence resource for planning and designing healthier places (2017)
    The document presents a series of practical diagrams that illustrate the linkages, and strength of evidence, between spatial planning and health based on the findings from an umbrella literature review of the impacts of the built environment on health

  • Healthy High Streets: good place making in an urban setting
    This report is aimed at local decision makers and examines how high streets are used as an asset to improve the overall health of local communities.

  • Tipping the scales: case studies on the use of planning powers to limit hot food takeaways  (Local Government Association)
    This report details seven case studies from the UK where local authorities have used planning powers to limit hot food takeaways. It includes a number of key messages such as: ensuring decision-makers understand the issues; using planning powers as part of a community healthy weight strategy; and engaging the whole community in discussion about implementation.

  • Associations between exposure to takeaway food outlets, takeaway food consumption, and body weight in Cambridgeshire, UK: population based, cross sectional study (BMJ, 2014)
    This research set out to examine the association between environmental exposure to takeaway food outlets, takeaway food consumption, and body weight, while accounting for home, work place, and commuting route environments.

  • Healthy people, healthy places briefing obesity and the environment: regulating the growth of fast food outlets obesity and Environment (Local Government Association, 2014) 
    This briefing addresses the opportunities to limit the number of fast food takeaways (primarily hot food takeaways, especially near schools) and ways in which fast food offers can be made healthier. It summarises the importance of action on obesity and a specific focus on fast food takeaways, and outlines the regulatory and other approaches that can be taken at local level.

  • Health on the High Street Report Royal Society for Public Health (2015) 
    This briefing discusses the benefits of making high streets a diverse place in which to have fun and enhance health and wellbeing that will in turn make them an attractive destination for the public, which in turn may help rejuvenate many. Health on the High Street References

  • Improving the public's health: A resource for Local Authorities (Kings Fund, 2013)
    The report looks at the nine key areas that can improve public health and reduce inequalities

  • Spatial Planning for Health: A guide to embedding the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment in spatial planning (November 2010)
    This guide has been developed during a transformational period of structural reform for both the public health and town and country planning sectors.

  • Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA): Planning Healthy Weight Environments
    Provide evidence on bringing closer planning and health -  6 Healthy Weight Environments elements -  TCPA checklist

  • Building the Foundations: Tackling obesity through planning and development Produced by Local Government Association
    This publication was written by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA). The TCPA is an independent housing and planning charity working to improve the planning system in accordance with principles of sustainable development. Over the last few years it has been undertaking activities under the theme of ‘Reuniting health with planning’.