To ensure new development is designed to promote good health all developments over 50 residential units all C2 development and non-residential developments over 1,000sqm will be required to undertake a Health Impact Assessment having regard to the Essex Design Guide Supplementary Guidance on Health Impact Assessments and the guidance of Public Health England. Negative health impacts identified in a Health Impact Assessment must be resolved in the development or mitigations secured through planning condition(s) and / or a Section 106 Agreement.

Development proposals will be required to assess their impact upon health and wellbeing, the capacity of existing health services and facilities, and the promotion of health improvement activities.

For hot food takeaways, a Health Impact Assessment will be required to be included in an application. Where an unacceptable adverse impact on health is established, permission will not be granted.

Where significant adverse health and wellbeing impacts are identified, planning permission will be refused unless infrastructure provision and/or funding to reasonably meet the health service requirements of the development are provided and/or secured by planning obligations or by the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) as appropriate.

For more information, please visit Braintree District Council’s Local Plan here.