National Planning Policy Framework, Chapter 16: Promoting healthy communities (HC1–8)
This is Chapter 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework.
Applies to England
The objective of the policies in this chapter of the National Planning Policy Framework is to promote the creation of healthy and inclusive places and support the provision of appropriate public services, by enabling development which can support this aim and seeking to retain, improve and deliver new facilities which are important for community wellbeing and minimising inequalities.
Plan-making policies
HC1: Planning for healthy communities
1. To promote the creation of healthy and inclusive places, and the provision, retention and enhancement of appropriate community facilities and public service infrastructure, development plans should, at the most appropriate level:
a. Be informed by an understanding of any existing deficits in the availability of community facilities and public service infrastructure, and additional requirements expected over the plan period, arising from proposed development and wider changes in the local population and public service provision. In doing so, they should take into account both quantitative and qualitative aspects of provision, identified local health needs and opportunities to reduce inequalities through the availability of facilities;
b. Set out the facilities and contributions expected from development, including as part of allocations for major development involving the provision of housing;
c. Allocate land specifically for community facilities and public service infrastructure where it is appropriate to do so, and assess whether any land is suitable for designation as Local Green Space in accordance with policy HC2;
d. Set local standards for the provision of different types of recreational land and facilities, including for play, sport, informal recreation and allotments. In doing so plans should draw upon relevant national standards and best practice, tailoring these as necessary to local circumstances and evidence[footnote 48]. Policies for play and informal recreation should aim to secure a connected network of high quality, inclusive and accessible opportunities as part of the wider network of green space provision, secured through both on-site provision in conjunction with land allocated for development and through other contributions and investment; and
e. Identify wider opportunities to promote good health, prevent ill-health, reduce health inequalities and support social interaction through their spatial strategy and land allocations, including through policies for strengthening town centres, locating development where it will support walking, wheeling and cycling and promoting mixed-use developments.
2. In planning for community facilities and public service infrastructure, authorities should engage proactively with local communities and relevant service providers, taking into account relevant strategies to improve health, address inequalities and foster social and cultural well-being for all sections of the community. Authorities should attach considerable importance to providing for sufficient education facilities (including early years, school and post-16 provision), all types of health care provision and other essential community facilities and public service infrastructure over the plan period, in a way that aligns with the needs of the local population and any wider requirements for improvements in public service infrastructure identified by the government or public agencies (recognising that some public service infrastructure serves a larger than local population).
HC2: Local Green Space
1. Local and neighbourhood plans may designate land as Local Green Space where this would safeguard green areas of particular value to the local community. Local Green Space should be limited to situations where the land concerned is:
a. In close proximity to the community it serves;
b. 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
c. Local in character and not an extensive tract of land.
2. Designating land as Local Green Space should be consistent with the local planning of sustainable development and the provision of sufficient land for homes, jobs and other needs. Local Green Space should only be designated when a plan is prepared or updated, and should be capable of enduring beyond the end of the plan period.
National decision-making policies
HC3: Community facilities and public service infrastructure serving new development
1. Proposals for housing, employment or other development which would give rise to significant numbers of additional people living in, working in or visiting an area should:
a. Be informed by an understanding of the need for any associated improvements to community facilities and public service infrastructure, whether on or off-site; and
b. Provide for new or improved community facilities and public service infrastructure which are necessary for the development to be acceptable in planning terms, whether by direct provision or a contribution to off-site improvements (which may be through Community Infrastructure Levy payments, where applicable).
2. Where the development plan does not set locally-specific standards for recreational land and facilities, all development proposals should use relevant national standards and best practice[footnote 49] to identify improvements in the quantity and quality of provision which should be provided or contributed towards, as appropriate to the nature of the development and taking into account existing levels of provision in the area.
3. Planning conditions and obligations should be used to secure the timely delivery of community facilities and public service infrastructure required to serve new development, so that these facilities are available for use when the development (or an agreed proportion of the development) is first occupied or comes into use.
HC4: Proposals for new and improved community facilities, public service infrastructure and development providing public health benefits
1. Substantial weight should be given to the benefits where:
a. New or improved public service infrastructure or community facilities would be provided; and
b. Development proposals would make a demonstrable contribution towards promoting good health, preventing ill-health, reducing health inequalities or supporting social interaction in the local community (such as, but not limited to, the provision of new recreation facilities, meeting places and opportunities to grow or purchase healthier food).
2. Local planning authorities, developers and public service providers should collaborate in a positive and proactive manner to identify and resolve key planning issues before applications for community facilities and public services infrastructure are submitted. Where appropriate local communities should be engaged in the design of proposals, including children and families where new or improved facilities for play are involved so that developments are inclusive and reflect user needs.
HC5: Hot food takeaways
1. Development proposals for hot food takeaways should be refused:
a. Within reasonable walking distance of schools and other places where children and young people congregate, unless the location is within a designated town centre; or
b. In locations where there is evidence that a concentration of such uses is having an adverse impact on local health, pollution or anti-social-behaviour.
HC6: Retention of key community facilities and public service infrastructure
1. Development proposals should not result in the loss of key community facilities and public service infrastructure unless:
a. It can be demonstrated that there is no reasonable prospect of the use being retained, either due to there being insufficient community support for the service it provides, or because it is no longer viable or feasible to operate (in the case of shops and public houses where commercial viability is an issue, evidence should be provided that reasonable steps have been taken to market the property for its existing use without success, for a period of at least 12 months); or
b. The loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision, in a location which offers comparable or improved accessibility for the community it serves; or
c. The decision-maker is satisfied that there is sufficient alternative provision of the type of use concerned in the local area, such that its loss will not diminish access to key community facilities and public service infrastructure.
2. For the purpose of this policy, key community facilities and public service infrastructure means established services that are used (or which have been used) on a frequent basis in a local area such as local shops, public houses, places of worship, local health facilities, community halls and cultural venues. It excludes recreational land and facilities which are addressed in policy HC7.
HC7: Development affecting existing recreational land and facilities
1. Development proposals should not result in the loss of existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, including playing fields, other formal and informal play space and allotments, unless:
a. An assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space, buildings or land to be surplus to requirements; or
b. The loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality, in a location which offers comparable or improved accessibility for the community it serves; or
c. The development is for public service infrastructure, and the resulting loss would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and/or quality; or
d. The development is for alternative open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.
HC8: Development affecting Local Green Space
1. Development proposals for land which has been designated as Local Green Space should be determined in a manner consistent with the relevant national decision-making policies for land in the Green Belt, excluding provisions relating to grey belt and previously developed land.
This is Chapter 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework
Continue to Chapter 17: Pollution, public protection and security (P1–6).
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Footnotes
48. These include the suite of Green Infrastructure Standards for England published by Natural England, standards for open space, outdoor sport and play recommended by Fields in Trust, and published Sport England Guidance (including Assessing Needs and Playing Pitch Strategy guidance). ↩
49. These include the suite of Green Infrastructure Standards for England published by Natural England, standards for open space, outdoor sport and play recommended by Fields in Trust, and published Sport England Guidance (including Assessing Needs and Playing Pitch Strategy guidance). ↩