Appendix 13: Small Site Healthy Planning Checklist
This checklist is based on the Norfolk Health Protocol checklist, but amended to be more applicable to the types and scale of schemes we see in the Broads.
The checklist is split into two – the first part is to be filled in for all new housing, commercial and recreational development (that does not meet the threshold relating to the Norfolk and Waveney Health Protocol).
You can get some additional guidance from these two resources:
- Sport England offers guidance on designing and adapting where we live to encourage activity in our everyday lives (Sport England, Active Design, https://www.sportengland.org/guidance-and-support/facilities-and-planning/design-and-cost-guidance/active-design).
- Building for a Healthy Life (2020).
This checklist does not apply if any of these criteria are met:
- Developments of over 50 dwellings
- developments of less than 50 dwellings but which are deemed to impact health services potentially significantly
- development that includes care homes, housing for the elderly, or student accommodation
- development that involves the significant loss of public open space
If the above criteria are met, the Norfolk and Waveney Health Protocol shall apply.
Part 1: The following checklist needs to be filled out for all schemes that are for housing, commercial and recreational development:
Topic | Criteria to consider | Response from applicant | Why is it important? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Original proposal | Changes to reflect the topic | |||
| How have neighbours or users of the site been engaged in developing the plans? How will you engage them as the scheme progresses? Have effective and creative engagement techniques, a co-design approach and evidence gathering been used as part of developing proposals? | Community engagement before and during construction can help alleviate fears and concerns. Creating a sense of community is important to individual’s health and wellbeing and can reduce feelings of isolation and fear of crime. | ||
| How does the proposal enable people to meet and connect with nearby/neighbouring communities? Have active travel connections been provided which link to connections neighbouring the site, and lead to prominent locations in the local community? | Planning can support communities and improve quality of life for individuals by creating environments with opportunities for social networks and friendships to develop. Planning can support communities and improve quality of life for individuals by creating environments with opportunities for social networks and friendships to develop. | ||
| How will the construction phase of the scheme minimise impacts such as dust, noise, vibration and odours? | Construction activity can cause disturbance and stress which can have an adverse effect on physical and mental health. Mechanisms should be put in place to control hours of construction, vehicle movements and pollution. | ||
| How does the scheme minimise the impact of noise caused by traffic and commercial uses? How does it use attenuation, insulation, site layout and landscaping? | Reducing noise pollution helps improve the quality of urban life. | ||
| How does the scheme contribute to biodiversity enhancement and nature recovery? | Access to nature and biodiversity can have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing. New development can improve existing, or create new, habitats or use design solutions (green roofs, living walls) to enhance biodiversity. | ||
| How does the scheme provide opportunities for food growing, for example by providing allotments, private gardens and community gardens? | Providing space for local food growing helps promote more active lifestyles, better diets and social benefits. | ||
| How does the scheme reduce surface water flood risk? Does it use sustainable urban drainage techniques, including storing rainwater, use of permeable surfaces and green roofs? | Flooding can result in risks to physical and mental health. The stress of being flooded and cleaning up can have a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing. | ||
| How does the design of buildings and spaces avoid internal and external overheating? Does it use passive cooling techniques and urban greening? How will it cool down overnight? | Climate change with higher average summer temperatures is likely to intensify the urban heat island effect and result in discomfort and excess summer deaths amongst vulnerable people. Indeed, sustained overnight heat can be an issue - when there are multiple nights where people/homes cannot cool down. Urban greening - tree planting, green roofs and walls and soft landscaping can help prevent summer overheating. | ||
| How does the scheme enhance existing and/or provide suitable new accessible green and open space, play and sports spaces, woodlands and allotments (or provides alternative facilities in the vicinity)? | Access to open space and community facilities has a positive impact on health and wellbeing. Living close to areas of green space, parks, woodland and other open space can improve physical and mental health regardless of social background. | ||
| How does the scheme incorporate appropriate cycle parking and storage including e bikes? | Cycle parking and storage in residential dwellings can encourage cycle participation. Developments should prioritise the access needs of cyclists and pedestrians. Developments should be accessible by public transport. | ||
How does the scheme minimise travel to ensure people can access facilities they need by walking cycling and public transport? | ||||
How does the scheme keep commercial vehicles away from areas where their presence would result in danger or unacceptable disruption to the highway or cause irreparable damage? | ||||
| How does the scheme encourage the use of stairs by ensuring that they are well located, attractive and welcoming? | Rather than having lifts at the front and staircases at the back of buildings hidden from view, it is preferable to have them located at the front to encourage people including those that are able to use them. | ||
Healthy Planning Checklist Part 2: As well as filling out the previous sections of the checklist, schemes for more than one dwelling, but less than 50 dwellings, need to fill out the following sections:
Topic | Criteria to consider | Response from applicant | Why is it important? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Original proposal | Changes to reflect the topic | |||
| How does the scheme provide dwellings with adequate internal space, including sufficient storage space and separate kitchen and living spaces? | Sufficient space is needed to allow for the preparation and consumption of food away from the living room to avoid the ‘TV dinner’ effect. | ||
How is garden space provided? Where garden space is impractical, is there effectively managed communal garden space provided? | ||||
| How does the scheme meet all the requirements contained in National Housing standards for daylighting, sound insulation, and private space? Have buildings been adapted, or designed, for lifetime use? | Good daylighting can improve the quality of life and reduce the need for energy to light the home. Improved sound insulation can reduce noise disturbance and complaints from neighbours. The provision of an inclusive outdoor space which is at least partially private can improve the quality of life. Accessible and easily adaptable homes can meet the changing needs of current and future occupants. | ||
How does the scheme provide accessible homes for older or disabled people? | ||||
| How are a mix of housing types and tenures provided? | The provision of affordable housing can create mixed and socially inclusive communities. The provision of affordable family sized homes can have a positive impact on the physical and mental health of those living in overcrowded, unsuitable or temporary accommodation. Both affordable and private housing should be designed to a high standard (‘tenure blind’). | ||
How is provision for accommodation which is adaptable to cater for changing needs, including the ageing population, provided? | ||||
How is affordable housing integrated in the whole site? How does this avoid segregation? | ||||
| How does the scheme promote access to a range of community facilities and public services (such as health, education and cultural infrastructure) that are well designed and easily accessible? | Good access to local services is a key element of a lifetime neighbourhood and additional services will be required to support new development. A proliferation of hot food takeaways and other outlets selling fast food can harm the vitality and viability of local centres and undermine | ||
| Does the proposal have a travel plan that includes adequate and appropriate cycle parking and storage and traffic management and calming measures? | A travel plan can promote sustainable transport and address the environmental and health impacts of a development. Cycle parking and storage in residential dwellings can encourage cycle participation. Traffic management and calming measures and safe crossings can reduce road accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians and increase active travel. Developments should prioritise the access needs of cyclists and pedestrians. Developments should be accessible by public transport. | ||
How is the layout of the scheme highly permeable? How does the scheme include safe, appropriately lit network of pedestrian and cycle routes and crossings? | ||||
How does the scheme minimise travel to ensure people can access facilities they need by walking cycling and public transport? | ||||
How does the scheme keep commercial vehicles away from areas where their presence would result in danger or unacceptable disruption to the highway or cause irreparable damage? | ||||