This is our opportunity to secure the healthy homes and neighbourhoods that our country so desperately needs
The Campaign for Healthy Homes
Too many homes and neighbourhoods that are built today undermine residents’ health, safety and wellbeing. The TCPA strongly opposes calls for further deregulation of housing standards and cuts to planning scrutiny.
Instead, we are campaigning for political commitment to ensure that all new homes are healthy, secure and genuinely affordable. Organisations across the built environment sector have joined the movement for healthy homes, including signing the TCPA’s Healthy Homes Pledge and promoting our 12 Healthy Homes Principles.
We’re seeking amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill could be the platform for the delivery of healthy communities, designed to enhance nature and secure healthy and resilient homes. To achieve that goal, however, the legislation requires significant amendment.
Lord Crisp’s health amendment
Secretary of State: Duty to promote health improvement and reduce health inequalities
(1) When considering whether or how to exercise any of their functions under the planning acts the Secretary of State must have regard to the need to—
(a) improve the health of persons living in England, and
(b) reduce health inequalities between persons living in England.
Definitions: duty to promote health improvement and reduce health inequalities
(1) Health inequalities “between persons” living in an area means health inequalities between persons, or persons of different descriptions, living in, or in different parts of, England.
(2) “Health inequalities” means inequalities in respect of life expectancy or general state of health which are wholly or partly a result of differences in respect of general health determinants.
(3) “General health determinants” are—
(a) standards of housing, transport services or public safety,
(b) employment prospects, earning capacity and any other matters that affect
levels of prosperity,
(c) the degree of ease or difficulty with which persons have access to public
services,
(d) the use, or level of use, of tobacco, alcohol or other substances, and any
other matters of personal behaviour or lifestyle, that are or may be harmful
to health, and any other matters that are determinants of life expectancy
or the state of health of persons generally, other than genetic or biological
factors.
(4) In section (Secretary of State’s duty to promote health improvement and reduce health inequalities)(a), the reference to improving the health of persons includes a reference to mitigating any detriment to health which would otherwise be occasioned by the exercise of the Secretary of State’s function.
(5) In section (Secretary of State’s duty to promote health improvement and reduce health inequalities)(b), the reference to reducing health inequalities includes a reference to mitigating any increase in health inequalities which would otherwise be occasioned by the exercise of the Secretary of State’s function.
Speaking up for Healthy Homes
Individuals and organisations from across the built environment and public health sectors are speaking up in support of healthy homes and neighbourhoods.
We need your help!
It’s time to make healthy homes and neighbourhoods a reality. Let’s send the message to the Minister for housing in the Lords that we need healthy homes, now! Please adapt this template and send it as an email to Baroness Taylor.
Email template
Dear Baroness Taylor of Stevenage,
My name is {YOUR NAME}. I am writing to you because I am deeply concerned about the poor quality of new homes and neighbourhoods and the damaging impact this is having on people’s health.
A safe, warm and affordable home is the foundation of a healthy and fulfilling life. Yet, one in ten people in the UK (over 7 million people) are living in poor quality homes. One third of people report that their new homes are poor quality. Recent reports have shown that substandard housing is seriously harming people’s health and wellbeing, further exacerbating health inequalities. The health impacts of such poor housing also puts a strain on the NHS – at an estimated cost of £1.4 billion every year.
Deregulation of housing through Permitted Development Rights has produced slum conditions unsuitable for habitation. And, by skipping the democratic planning process, it has cut vital developer contributions to affordable housing and local amenities.
The health amendment tabled by Lord Nigel Crisp, places clear requirements on the Secretary of State to positively promote health improvement. This amendment will guarantee a new generation of Healthy Homes and communities.
I am asking you to take a stand and ensure all new homes and communities are built where they are most needed and to a good standard.
Please support these important amendments (numbers 247 and 248) to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Thank you for your support and I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
{YOUR NAME}
The Campaign for Healthy Homes is supported by Nationwide Foundation.
