What are local plans and how do they incorporate health?

A local plan is a document containing planning policies in line with the needs, concerns, priorities, vision, and strategic objectives of a local government area (1). It is required to take into account local health needs and support local health strategies.

A local plan addresses needs and opportunities in relation to a local area in relation to housing, the local economy, community facilities and infrastructure (2), and is important when deciding the outcome of planning applications. While local plans are increasingly used to address health concerns in the local area, there is scope to further prioritise health in these documents whilst also maintaining a balance of addressing issues relevant to planning. Further consideration of health in these documents would enable local authorities to use planning powers at scale to address obesity as part of a whole systems approach.

Local plans involve the local community. Local planning authorities must demonstrate that the local plan has been informed by early, proportionate and effective engagement with communities, local organisations, businesses, infrastructure providers and operators, and statutory consultees. A consultation statement is required when the plan is submitted for examination, which includes the test for ‘soundness’ (3).

The soundness test for local plans

The Planning Inspectorate examines local plans for ‘soundness’ and ensures there is consistency in terms of the decision-making process (4). The National Policy Planning Framework requires local planning authorities to submit a local plan for examination that it considers is ‘sound’ (4), namely that it is:

Positively prepared – providing a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs; and is informed by agreements with their authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development

a) Justified – an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence

b) Effective – deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters that have been dealt with rather than deferred, as evidenced by the statement of common ground

c) Consistent with national policy – enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in this Framework

As we learnt previously whilst introducing the National Planning Policy Framework and the Practice Planning Guidance, local planning authorities are encouraged to enable healthy communities. They can do this through the inclusion of specific health policies in their local plan or through embedding health and wellbeing throughout the local plan.

The National Planning Policy Framework recommends that policies in local plans should be reviewed at least every five years (5). Reviews should consider changing circumstances affecting the area and make adjustments as appropriate.