1.3 Course overview and objectives 

• Week 1 – Making the case for promoting a healthier food environment and understanding planning in relation to public health

• Week 2 – Understanding the planning system and policy framework in England

• Week 3 – Using planning, and complementary non-planning, approaches to promote a healthier food environment

• Week 4 – Making the evidence work effectively in planning for a healthier food environment

By the end of this course learners will:

• Recognise the importance of whole systems approaches to obesity, how planning levers contribute to creating healthier food environments and how local authority professionals can collaborate to create proportional and locally specific joint policies to promote a healthier food environment, drawing on the local evidence base.

• Explain how to use specific planning levers, for example supplementary planning document guidance or policies to specifically address the health impact, of less healthy establishments such as hot food takeaways. This can include introducing planning measures, such as school exclusion zones, to restrict the proliferation of less healthy establishments.

• Apply local evidence base to support these actions by local authorities and their approaches to bring forward sound and evidence-informed local policies and to make planning decisions including supporting planning appeals.