Issues and Options

5 Healthy Places

5.1 The Healthy Places chapter of our Local Plan includes policies that address health and wellbeing, community facilities, and open spaces for recreation and active lifestyles. Many of the issues addressed in this chapter are closely related to policies elsewhere in the Local Plan, particularly around designing high quality new communities, and creating multi-functional green spaces that provide tangible benefits to both people and nature.

Improving Health and Wellbeing

5.2 Tendring's population is growing with an increasing percentage of residents of 65 years of age and above, well above the national average. Some of Tendring's communities are in the 20% 'most deprived' in the country with poor health being a particular concern. Although the Council is not directly responsible for providing GP, medical and other health services in our district, it works in close partnership with the NHS and other bodies so that measures are put in place to ensure that growth in the population and new developments in our communities are planned in a way that promotes healthy lifestyles, tackles deprivation and that are supported, as necessary, by a modern and efficient health service that meets the needs of both existing and future residents. This is not an easy task given the pressures facing health services across the country, but through rapid advancements in medical science and technology it is essential both for existing and future generations to collaborate with the NHS and others to promote innovation and embrace new ways of providing healthcare that aren't necessarily what people are used to now.

5.3 The way new communities and new developments are designed should have a significant positive impact on people's health – including the level of physical activity residents participate in. It is important that the Local Plan requires new development to be planned from the outset with health considerations in mind. New guidance and best practice are emerging all the time, which will assist developers in considering these factors and ensure their proposals maximise the opportunities for improving residents' health and wellbeing.

5.4 Policy HP1 in the Council's existing Local Plan, which seeks to improve health and wellbeing, remains broadly up to date, and has been successful in securing developer contributions towards key health infrastructure – including the expansion of doctors' surgeries. But this review gives an opportunity to strengthen the approach even further to improving the quality of life experienced across the District with participation in physical activity at any level and access to green spaces being two key elements of improving peoples physical and mental health.

Multifunctional Open Green Space, Sports and Recreation Facilities

5.5 Access to multifunctional open green space, sports and recreational facilities is recognised as having far reaching positive impacts, and the Council works collaboratively with our partners in health and sport to address the issues of poor physical and mental health.

5.6 Policies HP3, HP4 and HP5 from the Council's existing Local Plan are a group of policies which collectively address green infrastructure, safeguarded open spaces, and sports and recreation facilities. These policies are likely to require a full update as part of the Local Plan review process, to ensure they properly reflect the latest evidence of need and the Council's strategy for delivering and managing open spaces and sports and recreation facilities. The issues covered by these policies are very closely linked, particularly when it comes to delivering facilities as part of new developments, so it will be most effective to update them as a group rather than individually.

New developments

5.7 The Local Plan aims to ensure new developments provide a variety of inclusive multifunctional green spaces that enable physical activity for all. These spaces can incorporate play equipment, open areas for informal games and sports, walking and cycling paths, outdoor gym equipment and many other facilities. These spaces should be sited in locations that are safely accessible to those wheeling, walking and cycling and, where practicable, should ensure connectivity along green infrastructure corridors.

5.8 For smaller developments, it is often appropriate for developers to incorporate areas of open space within the development and to make a financial contribution towards the enhancement or upgrading of nearby play equipment or sports facilities. For larger developments, however, the creation of high quality, flexible spaces that include a diversity of facilities such as games areas, play equipment, skate parks, gym equipment etc. are more likely to be appropriate. The Local Plan will need to make it clear to developers how much and what kinds of provision are likely to be required as part of their proposal, and these requirements will need to be supported by strong evidence.

5.9 A number of guidance documents have been produced nationally that explain how new developments can maximise the opportunities to promote healthy and active lifestyles. As part of the Local Plan review, the Council is considering how the Local Plan might best signpost developers to these documents to ensure new developments create active environments.

• Active Design Guidance (Sport England)
  • sets out a comprehensive approach to planning and development that prioritizes physical activity and well-being;
  • emphasises the creation of spaces and environments that encourage movement, providing opportunities for increased activity levels;
  • addresses disparities in activity levels among different demographic groups and aims to make physical activity enjoyable and easily incorporated into daily lives.
• Building for a Healthy Life (Homes England and NHS England)
  • serves as a Design Code to enhance the design of new and expanding neighbourhoods;
  • designed to be accessible to a diverse audience, including local communities, councillors, developers, and local authorities;
  • enables focused discussions on crucial aspects of creating 'liveable places';
  • supports local communities in establishing clear expectations for new developments by providing easily understandable considerations.

5.10 Active environments are spaces designed to promote physical activity, extending beyond traditional sports and formal exercise. They aim to inspire a wide range of physical activities, including active travel, children's play, outdoor leisure, and various opportunities that foster an active lifestyle. The places where we live, work, travel, and engage in recreational activities can significantly influence people's choices regarding physical activity. New developments can be designed in such a way that short trips can easily be taken on foot or by bike, which increases activity levels, improves air quality, and limits traffic congestion. Active environments can enhance both physical and mental wellbeing.

5.11 Green infrastructure (natural open spaces) and blue infrastructure (bodies of water) are closely linked with environmental policies, particularly around biodiversity and climate change – and these policies are discussed in the Protected Places chapter later in this document.

Safeguarded Spaces

5.12 The adopted Local Plan identifies a large number of open spaces within the District that it designates as 'safeguarded open space', and development in these areas will not generally be supported. However, a higher level of protection called 'Local Green Space' can also be designated for certain areas, where they meet certain criteria set out in national policy.

5.13 National Planning Policy states that Local Green Space designation should only be used where the green space is:

1. in reasonably close proximity to the community it serves;
2. demonstrably special to a local community and holds a particular local significance, for example because of its beauty, historic significance, recreational value (including as a playing field), tranquillity or richness of its wildlife; and
3. local in character and is not an extensive tract of land.

5.14 As part of the Local Plan Review, the Council may consider whether any specific open spaces within the District require this higher level of protection.

Community Facilities

5.15 Community facilities (sometimes referred to as community assets) provide for health and wellbeing, recreational and leisure and education and culture. They can include for example, local shops, meeting places, open space, community halls, libraries, museums, arts venues, post offices, public houses, places of worship, sports venues, health and fitness facilities, swimming pools and other facilities of community value. They are a key part of sustainable communities and contribute to their self-reliance.

5.16 The Local Plan includes a policy that seeks to prevent development that would result in the loss of a community facility, except in circumstances where replacement facilities are provided or where it is demonstrated there is no longer a need for that facility. The review of the Local Plan might provide an opportunity to add clarity around what evidence might be appropriate to justify such a loss.

5.17 The policy also requires new developments to support or enhance community facilities. In some cases, improving existing facilities can add more value to the local community than building new ones, whereas in other situations new community facilities are more appropriate. In either case, new or existing facilities should be located in the best place for those accessing them via walking, wheeling and cycling, or by using public transport.

Cemeteries, Crematoriums and Burials

5.18 The Local Plan includes land for the expansion of Weeley Crematorium and a number of cemeteries within Policy HP4 – Safeguarded Open Space. As part of the Local Plan review, it might be appropriate to include a new policy specifically to address the need for cemeteries, crematoriums and other kinds of burial. In addition, for allowing land to expand existing provision, the policy could support and encourage the provision of new burial places as the need arises and provide guidance or criteria that proposals would be required to meet.