5 Health and Wellbeing

Comment

Representation ID: 10770

Received: 10/09/2021

Respondent: Mr John Batchelor

Walsall is a particularly unequal borough in terms of health outcomes. Investment and intervention is needed in the poorer areas such as Blakenhall, Ryecroft and Coalpool where healthy lifestyles are almost extinct. Healthier communities can only be developed with a radical policy to improve areas with the worst records and that surely is a moral duty.

Comment

Representation ID: 11784

Received: 08/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Gary Lambert

5.3 so why would you want to ruin our health and well being it doesnot make sense

Support

Representation ID: 12022

Received: 10/10/2021

Respondent: Miss Emma Thompson

no comment

Comment

Representation ID: 15291

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Natural England

5 Health and Wellbeing

We would add that public access/closeness to wildlife rich green spaces and green infrastructure from their doorstep out into a widening landscape, where biodiversity can thrive alongside nature based solutions such as flood mitigation and, carbon storage, all contribute to mental and physical wellbeing. For example, through the Midland Heath Heartland partnership - Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project (see Annex 1 for more details). This project aims to create, enhance and connect up fragmented heathland habitat and other wildlife-rich habitats between Cannock Chase and Sutton
Park, which will benefit local communities in escaping the urban environment to ‘recharge their internal
resilience through nature’. The health and wellbeing of people living in a very urban environment will be compromised if the Core Habitat Zones (Ref. Natural Capital Mapping 2021-contact Natural England
for further detail) within the greenbelt area are not assessed fully to accommodate these opportunities.

Support

Representation ID: 17094

Received: 30/09/2021

Respondent: House of Commons

Whilst I fully recognise the need for more housing across the Black Country, I also believe that the health and wellbeing of the local population is important, with the protection of green belt space a key component in that. I am pleased that the BCP takes into account the Sustainability & Transformation Partnership that has been agreed by the local planning and health authorities, and recognises that both the built and natural environment can have an impact on health provision.

Support

Representation ID: 19216

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

Support: WTBBC support the inclusion of Health and Wellbeing policies in the BCP and the recognition of the importance that strategic planning has in delivering quality of life for those who live, work in or visit the area.

Support

Representation ID: 19217

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

5.1
Support: WTBBC welcome the recognition that the built and natural environments are key determinants of health and wellbeing.

Comment

Representation ID: 19284

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

Linkages between health and the built and natural environment
Comment: It is WTBBC’s view that a paragraph should be added that further describes the importance of the natural environment in determining health and wellbeing. The value of accessible, high-quality natural greenspace to local communities is increasingly understood. For example, the Dasgupta Review 2021 states that access to green spaces can reduce socio-economic inequalities in health, and cites a longitudinal study covering over 10,000 UK residents that found that living in greener urban space was associated with greater life satisfaction (White et al. 2013).
Figure 3 - Determinants of health and wellbeing (Barton and Grant, 2010)
Support: WTBBC support the inclusion of the determinants of health and wellbeing map and the recognition in the BCP of the importance of the natural environment in determining health and wellbeing outcomes.

Support

Representation ID: 43915

Received: 10/10/2021

Respondent: Barratt West Midlands

Agent: Turley Associates

3.36 Barratt is supportive of the Local Plan’s aspirations for health and wellbeing and
identifying opportunities through new development to support the creation of strong, vibrant and healthy communities. Health and wellbeing are core to the social objective of sustainable development as defined by the NPPF (paragraph 8).
3.37 At the heart of this is locating new development in the right locations and ensuring it delivers sufficient infrastructure to make better places for living. Land at Pennwood provides an opportunity to accommodate a sustainable community that integrates well with existing residents and provides access to open space including the new woodland park and play facilities within a safe and inclusive environment.

Support

Representation ID: 43933

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: IM Land

Agent: Turley Assocs

Health and wellbeing
3.34 IM Land support the BCP’s aspirations for supporting health and wellbeing and
identifying opportunities through new development to support the creation of strong,
vibrant and healthy communities and will welcome the publication of evidence to
substantiate health and wellbeing infrastructure requirements.
3.35 Health and wellbeing are core to the social objective of sustainable development as
defined by the NPPF (paragraph 8). Central to being able to deliver on this will be
directing new development to the right locations, such as land at Queslett Road,
Walsall which benefits from good accessibility to existing services, employment and
sustainable transport options, but also seeks enhance this through the provision of
onsite facilities such as potentially a site for a new primary school, health centre and
local centre (where a need is evidenced).

Comment

Representation ID: 45889

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Transport for West Midlands

Policies HW1, HW2 & HW3 Heath and Wellbeing, infrastructure and Assessments

Under these policies, we would welcome reference to TfWM’s Health and Transport Strategy and its supporting evidence, along with more emphasis on how improved sustainable transport links can deliver on improvements to people’s health outcomes. For example, through reducing health inequalities, cleaner air, increased active travel levels, safer roads, reduced noise pollution and improved levels of social cohesion. These issues are not currently picked up under this policy but are vital to health outcomes.

Support

Representation ID: 47036

Received: 13/09/2022

Respondent: HIMOR

Agent: Turley Associates

HIMOR support the BCP’s aspirations for supporting health and wellbeing and identifying opportunities through new development to support the creation of strong, vibrant and healthy communities. Health and wellbeing are core to the social objective of sustainable development as defined by the NPPF (paragraph 8).