West Berkshire Council - Agenda item - Healthcare in New Developments (EX4687)

Purpose: to provide a response to the recommendations made in the report from the Health Scrutiny Committee Task and Finish Group Healthcare in New Developments, which was presented to Members at the Health Scrutiny Committee on 12 June 2024.

Resolved that: Executive

Support the implementation of the Task and Finish Group’s recommendations summarised below and the associated actions set out in Appendix B.

· The Development Manager, Planning Policy Manager, Senior Primary Care Estate Manager and Senior Programme Manager (Primary Care Estates) to meet regularly to review their engagement on applications and that responses are timely and evidenced. To seek out and together review best practice regularly and make improvements in their ways of working. To hold each other to account and communicate effectively. To work closely on negotiations and to think broadly about the needs of the community and involve other stakeholders.

· The West Berkshire Council Planning Team to work with GP practices directly to understand their needs and requirements for new developments.

· The ICB to review how they work with GPs regarding the primary care needs of new developments and to consider any improvements that could be made.

· The Senior Primary Care Estate Manager and Senior Programme Manager (Primary Care Estates) to consider how they can input into the CIL charging structure when it is next reviewed. To be prepared through seeking best practice elsewhere to provide evidence requested and to be clear how much is needed for new developments.

· The Planning Policy Manager to consider a review of the CIL spending strategy.

· The Council, in collaboration with key stakeholders, to consider the opportunity of health hubs or multipurpose community facilities. This could be owned by the local authority and leased to the ICB or GP’s, or created by developers in the first phase of development and sold to GP practices for a nominal fee. To consider best practice, the local approach and new ways of delivering provisions. The NHS requirements to be built into the Council’s wider thinking around multipurpose hubs.

· The ICB to continue work on workforce planning and staffing to support any infrastructure and to work closely with the local authority. The Berkshire West Place Director to keep the Health Scrutiny Committee updated.

· The Senior Programme Officer for the Wider Determinants of Health to request a peer review of the Healthy Planning Protocol from relevant colleagues at the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) that specialise in healthy place shaping and the planning process. Consider implementing any changes and recommendations that arise through the review.

· Further collaboration by Senior Programme Officer for the Wider Determinants of Health, the Development Manager and Planning Policy Manager with developers to finalise guidance and supporting documents with developers. To consider how to guide developers when consulting with the public for HIAs.

· The Health Scrutiny Committee to endorse the Healthy Planning Protocol, including Health Impact Assessments and any associated Service Level Agreements, to Heads of Service and Corporate Board.

· The Health Scrutiny Committee to endorse an application to Corporate Board/Financial Review Panel to approve a new Officer post for implementing the HPP

· The Senior Primary Care Estate Manager and Senior Programme Manager (Primary Care Estates) to work with the Senior Programme Officer for the Wider Determinants of Health to ensure the HPP is suitable for the ICB and staffed accordingly. The ICB to ensure there is suitable resource to implement this effectively in collaboration with stakeholders.

· The Planning Policy Manager and Development Manager to review if Planning have adequate resources needed to implement HIAs, improve collaboration and deliver the appropriate training. National guidance is available which can begin to strengthen the approach whilst the HPP is in development.

· The Senior Programme Officer for the Wider Determinants of Health, Development Manager and Planning Policy Manager to consider how best to engage with developers, for example via the developers’ forum, to encourage them to use healthy design, provide health features in developments, and remind them that such actions help to fulfil their own companies’ ESG commitments.

· Public Health to deliver a public health prevention approach workshop for all elected Members, including public health data skills (the West Berkshire Observatory and Public Health Outcomes Framework data) and the HPP.

· The Senior Programme Officer for the Wider Determinants of Health, Development Manager and Planning Policy Manager to consider further training on healthy places in planning for all Members.

· The Council to explore ‘design guides’ or frameworks to supplement the HPP and supporting documents for prospective developers. These to be shaped around public health and council priorities.

· The Council to consider community engagement and engagement with town and parish councils and West Berkshire Council Members for continuity and accountability in design and in keeping the communities sustainable.

This decision is eligible to be ‘called-in’. However, if the decision has not been ‘called-in’ by 5.00pm on Friday 11 July 2025, then it will be implemented.

Councillor Denise Gaines introduced and proposed a report (Agenda Item 11), which provided a response to the recommendations made in the report from the Health Scrutiny Committee Task and Finish Group Healthcare in New Developments, which was presented to Members at the Health Scrutiny Committee on 12 June 2024. It was highlighted that the report proposed five key recommendations aimed at enhancing collaboration between the planning team and district health providers.

Councillor Patrick Clark seconded the recommendations within the report and emphasised the importance of raising the profile of health in planning, of active travel, good design and ensuring that the places people lived were made to encourage activity.

RESOLVED that: Executive

Support the implementation of the Task and Finish Group’s recommendations summarised below and the associated actions set out in Appendix B.

· The Development Manager, Planning Policy Manager, Senior Primary Care Estate Manager and Senior Programme Manager (Primary Care Estates) to meet regularly to review their engagement on applications and that responses are timely and evidenced. To seek out and together review best practice regularly and make improvements in their ways of working. To hold each other to account and communicate effectively. To work closely on negotiations and to think broadly about the needs of the community and involve other stakeholders.

· The West Berkshire Council Planning Team to work with GP practices directly to understand their needs and requirements for new developments.

· The ICB to review how they work with GPs regarding the primary care needs of new developments and to consider any improvements that could be made.

· The Senior Primary Care Estate Manager and Senior Programme Manager (Primary Care Estates) to consider how they can input into the CIL charging structure when it is next reviewed. To be prepared through seeking best practice elsewhere to provide evidence requested and to be clear how much is needed for new developments.

· The Planning Policy Manager to consider a review of the CIL spending strategy.

· The Council, in collaboration with key stakeholders, to consider the opportunity of health hubs or multipurpose community facilities. This could be owned by the local authority and leased to the ICB or GP’s or created by developers in the first phase of development and sold to GP practices for a nominal fee. To consider best practice, the local approach and new ways of delivering provisions. The NHS requirements to be built into the Council’s wider thinking around multipurpose hubs.