How can evidence be used effectively in planning and to support planning decisions?

Decisions made within the planning system are made in accordance with plans, strategies and policies, which are all underpinned by evidence.

Local planning authorities need to use evidence to support their measures and actions to justify local planning policies and decisions, and support defence against planning appeals. Evidence can draw on both national and local level data. This can include the wider determinants of health, health inequalities and outcomes, the Public Health Outcomes Framework, and the Strategic Health Assets Planning and Evaluation (SHAPE) tool. This is covered in further detail in step 4.6.

Local level data is especially important to support policy measures and planning application outcomes. For instance, evidence of ward-level childhood obesity prevalence and accessibility to hot food takeaways can help to inform the establishment of exclusion zones around schools, parks and leisure centres within the area. It can be useful to show this data through geographical mapping where possible.

It is important to include local level data. Planners and planning inspectors are more likely to attribute more weight to localised evidence as well as considering national evidence, when considering local planning applications and in the appeals process.

What are the issues with collating the evidence?

There are key differences in the way in which planning and public health officers use and apply evidence in their work. In planning, evidence is often in the form of case law and precedent, whilst in public health the evidence is drawn from the wider academic literature, including quantitative research where practical and applicable.

Planners and public health officers also work at different scales, with planning focusing on evidence from the local area whilst public health officers often use regional and national data. Translating evidence from these different starting points and bringing it together can be challenging.

There is a large evidence base relating to diet, the food environment, and food accessibility and availability. Using robust evidence to underpin policy and guidance, such as supplementary planning documents, can strengthen the case for a plan or development, inform planning decisions and support defence against appeals.

Public Health England published an evidence review, ‘Spatial Planning for Health’ (1) which provides an assessment of the evidence on the impact of the built and natural environment on five key areas of health concern. This includes evidence on the principles of a healthier food environment.

This infographic illustrates the associations between the planning principles of a healthier food environment and health outcomes. This is a useful tool to support discussions between planning and public health teams.

Image source: p33 Spatial Planning for Health: an evidence resource for planning and designing healthier places (publishing.service.gov.uk))

Academics are often willing to support practitioners in identifying relevant evidence and generating new evidence from practice. Academic researchers are assessed on their impact as a part of the National Research Excellence Framework exercise, carried out every five years, which includes consideration of the extent to which their academic work influences practice. Therefore, collaboration can be mutually beneficial for both academics and local government practitioners.

There can also be opportunities to co-produce research or agree a memorandum of understanding between the local authority and academic institution to collaborate on specific issues. For example, in Middlesbrough, the Council has memorandum of understanding with Teesside University, which includes collaboration on issues including health and planning (2).