IPH made the following response to the Department of the Environment (NI) on the Draft Addendum to Planning Policy Statement 7.

Access the Draft Addendum to Planning Policy Statement 7

The IPH response in full:

Introduction

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland
The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) aims to improve health on the island of Ireland by working to combat health inequalities and influence public policies in favour of health.  The Institute promotes cooperation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in public health research, training and policy advice.

IPH acknowledge that health is influenced by a wide range of social determinants, including economic, environmental, social and biological factors.  Housing and residential areas are identified as key determinants of health and IPH welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Department of the Environment (DoE), Draft Addendum to Planning Policy Statement 7.

Key points
•    IPH welcomes PPS7 and ask DoE to ensure effective implementation systems are in place to ensure guidance is enforced.
•    IPH believes that the implementation PPS7 can enhance the health outcomes of proposed new developments in residential areas.  It is essential that these health outcomes are maximised and call on the DoE to ensure that health is considered as part of the planning approval stage.

In response to DoE specific issues areas:

Policy LC 1
IPH welcome the guidance to enforce greater protection for existing settlements.  In particular there is a need to ensure that the quality of proposed housing and residential areas considers impacts on mental health.  In a European study, a range of factors were found to influence levels of depression: ‘“missing daylight” (increasing the chance of depression by 60%); “bad view out of window” (increase of 40%); “disturbance by noise” (increase of 40%); “sleep disturbance by noise” (double chance for depression) and “no place in the dwelling to be alone” (increase of 50%) .  There is a need to ensure PPS7 guidance is enforced to protect mental health to ensure such issues are enforced at the implementation stage.

Policy LC 2
The World Health Organization study, referred to above, also identified that a range of factors in the immediate housing environment also have an impact on health.  These include noise from traffic, neighbours and public areas, the perception of fear and crime indicating the social dimension of the neighbourhood, the availability of residential amenities such as parks and playgrounds etc., and the general level of maintenance of the residential area (graffiti, pollution, etc.) .

The design of housing developments and efforts to maintain neighbourhoods and ensure safety and standards within housing areas – the creation of a positive environment of housing – therefore has a marked impact on mental health.  In a study of one housing estate where issues of traffic calming, parking, safety and playing areas were addressed ‘the mental health of the residents improved in terms of a fall in measures of anxiety and depression and an improvement in terms of self esteem’ .  The physical and social environment, then, is a major influence on mental health.  The inclusion of shared semi-private space in housing design can also have an impact on levels of social interaction.  Shared space which is specifically allocated to local residents can encourage the development of supportive relationships.  However ensuring adequate personal space is also important since, in one study ‘the adverse social effects of crowding on psychological health… was related to the breakdown of social support systems’ .  In addition, overcrowding within households ‘not only increases the risk of infection but impacts upon mental health through factors such as high noise levels and lack of privacy . Therefore it is essential that new developments are built to an acceptable standard of size, a minimum of which should be set by the DoE and not left to Developers discretion.

Policy LC 3
IPH is particularly concerned with how climate change is likely to affect the health of the population in Northern Ireland.  Work conducted by the Health Protection Agency and Department of Health in England suggests that climate change may affect health through an increased risk of flooding. While floods are associated with few direct deaths, the full effect on health due to infectious disease, mental health and injuries should be recognised.  Altering the natural drainage system of the ground can contribute to potential flooding and therefore suggest where possible permeable paving is used.

Contact details

For further information on this submission, please contact

Claire Higgins
Public Health Development Officer
Institute of Public Health in Ireland
Forestview
Purdy’s Lane
Belfast
BT8 7ZX

Tel: +44 28 9064 8494
Email: Claire.higgins@publichealth.ie

Dr Jane Wilde
Chief Executive
Institute of Public Health in Ireland
Forestview
Purdy’s Lane
Belfast
BT8 7ZX

Tel: +44 28 9064 8494
Email: jane.wilde@publichealth.ie

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