Key stages in planning policy and development management processes where environmental sustainability considerations could feed in are highlighted in the Tables 1 and 2 below.

A similar table is provided for health professionals highlighting health considerations, see ‘Key stages in planning where health can input‘.

It may also be useful to organise some training events for selected planning and public health staff to raise awareness of the Kent Environment Strategy and the benefits of particular actions for improved health outcomes. This might also provide an opportunity to consider new approaches to collaborative working.

Identifying who should be contacted in health and planning should be facilitated by viewing the contact details provided in the ‘Who to contact in health?‘ and ‘Who to contact in planning?‘ sections.

It may be useful to develop a formal protocol between environmental sustainability and planners to clarify who will input on what, when and how.

Table 1: Planning policy stages and environmental sustainability considerations

Planning stage Environmental sustainability considerations
Evidence gathering to inform policy development
  • Make contact with planning policy teams and build relationships
  • Submit and help to supply evidence to planners on key environmental issues, including the need for new or improved ‘green infrastructure’ (to inform planning for the community infrastructure levy)
Developing local planning policies, SPDs, infrastructure plans and neighbourhood plans
  • Ensure public health understand the timetable for development and the best times to engage
  • Consider contributing to the Sustainability Appraisal of emerging policy documents
  • Consider getting involved in public consultation activities
  • Check the policies and vision align with the Kent Environment Strategy
  • Ensure infrastructure plans draw on evidence of need for new/improved green infrastructure
  • Provide supporting evidence when required in a form that the planning policy team can use in the examination process
Monitoring impacts of policy over time
  • Consider working with public health to measure the effectiveness of environmental interventions aimed at addressing specific health outcomes.
Developing masterplans for new communities
  • Consider engaging with planners, and possibly public health, to influence the masterplanning of new communities e.g. Ebbsfleet.

Table 2: Development management stages and environmental sustainability considerations

Planning stage Health considerations
Pre-application (advice given by planners to potential applicants before making a planning application)
  • Ensure environmental sustainability is a non-statutory consultee
  • Discuss with other relevant consultees, such as public health and transport, and explore opportunities to work together to submit comments
  • If resources are constrained, prioritise input on major developments
  • Submit comments to planners within the consultation period and seek to work with them to resolve issues
  • Consider whether the development can be made acceptable through planning conditions and/or measures through Section 106, and communicate this to planners to ensure that these conditions/measures are included in their report
Discharge of conditions
  • Where relevant, provide comments to planners within the consultation period on details submitted to discharge specific conditions.

Further information:

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