Local Development Plans (LDPs) guide the development and use of land in a given area, and are statutory documents produced by local authorities and national park authorities across Wales. They identify the scale of growth in a local area for residential, commercial, industrial and recreational purposes, and set out the spatial or location strategy for this growth. The relationship between planning and health and wellbeing is increasingly being recognised and LDPs can play a key role in the creation of healthy places and reducing inequalities through considering health and equity as a key outcome of planning.
Public Health Wales today publishes new research on how LDPs in Wales have incorporated health and equity into them. The report provides a snapshot in time, has revealed a great deal of good practice, with many LDPs having a strong focus on health and wellbeing, and on reducing inequalities.
The aim of the project was to review how LDPs across Wales include a focus on health, wellbeing and equity, identify good practice and identify opportunities for the Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit (WHIASU) and Public Health Wales (PHW) and other key partners, to support local planning authorities to incorporate health into LDPs.
Gaps were identified between national planning policy requirements and practical implementation in LDPs and recommendations made in the report highlight how this could be strengthened. Many LDPs are in their replacement phases and are advancing, or may have already included, a consideration of health in their plans and policies. Local planning authorities may find this useful for future work and discussion.