Planning Director, Jess Wilson, leads Newsteer’s Healthcare strategy. Following an NLA webinar earlier this year, she considers how can we integrate the healthcare on the high streets agenda into our planning policies and local plans.
The key to reflecting changing behaviours is allowing increased flexibility in the planning policy framework – the tricky part is balancing this alongside the principles of development management, keeping up with changes at national level (which the Government doesn’t always help with…) and the need to update local plans regularly.
While the planning system has gone some way to introducing flexibility into development management, further change is needed to reflect the evolving needs of high streets and the communities that use them. By introducing policies that support flexibility, co-location of amenities and future proofing designs, LPAs can help create successful places and experiences which support the health and well-being of their local communities. This is key to creating vibrant, healthy places for everyone.
One measure undertaken by the UK planning system to increase flexibility and keep up with changing behaviours on our high streets is the introduction of Class E which allows for easier transition between different uses without the need for a planning application. This frees up some of the restrictions in the planning system and was particularly useful back in 2020 when we supported an NHS Trust in the delivery of 15 vaccination centres in locations ranging from offices and leisure centres to London’s Science Museum. Health centres are included under this class, and while it helps in principle, consideration must still be given to any relevant planning conditions attached to the original planning permission – such as restrictions to the specific use or use class and any practical points relating to operating hours.
The NPPF defines what is considered to be ‘main town centre uses’, which helps protect high streets when edge or out of centre developments are proposed; including health care in this definition would help embed the flexibility shown in Class E. Local plans should also include specific policies relating to community facilities and infrastructure, which help make spaces more flexible and encourage co-location of health and ‘town centre’ uses to benefit local communities.
An example of embedding this flexibility in specific ‘community facility’ policy can be found in Westminster’s City Plan where their community infrastructure and facilities policy now requires new buildings to future-proof their designs to meet requirements of providers as they change over time. While there will be some limits to this – noting that specific acute hospitals and mental health provision requires adherence to specific design guidance – the general approach is to make spaces more flexible and adaptable. The policy goes further, stating that the Council will strongly encourage co-location of these types of uses – linking to themes of increasing dwell time, activating spaces, social prescribing and providing both benefits to the local community and the delivery of successful placemaking.
To discuss how Newsteer can support your next health project, get in contact: