Policy H1 requires development proposals to consider a number of key health and wellbeing priorities including promoting community inclusion, encouraging safe and healthy neighbourhoods, promoting active lifestyles, enhancing nature, providing quality housing, supporting job creation, improvements in air quality and the delivery of the health infrastructure we need.

Policy HW2 requires development proposals to mitigate and reduce adverse air, land or water pollution resulting from the construction and operational phases of development, and to make contaminated land suitable for the proposed use.

Development has the potential to result in pollution to air, water or land either through release of pollutants during construction or operation, or by disturbance and mobilisation of historical contamination. Development can also be adversely affected by existing pollution. It is important to ensure that all development takes appropriate steps to minimise the risks of creating new sources of contamination and mitigates the risks from historical contamination where necessary. Developers must therefore consider the potential effects of pollution on human health and safety, the environment and the amenity of adjacent or nearby land users. Environmental health legislation provides a means to regulate many forms of pollution should it arise, but it is clearly preferable to ensure new development is appropriate for its location and hence prevent conflict arising in the first place. 

Air quality in Exeter is generally good, but monitoring of nitrogen dioxide has resulted in the designation of an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) along some of the major roads. The City Council has produced an Air Quality Action Plan, which proposes a series of measures to tackle these issues, and development will need to ensure it supports and will not be detrimental to delivery of this plan. The effects of development (including cumulative impacts) and existing pollution levels should be taken into account when deciding whether new development is appropriate for its location. Air pollution includes odour and both existing and potential new sources of odour (such as kitchen extraction systems) will be a material consideration when determining planning applications. 

Exeter is crossed by a number of water courses and the area is also underlain by rock formations designated by the Environment Agency as principal and secondary aquifers. These aquifers contain potable groundwater which also flows into watercourses. Therefore there is the potential for development to affect the quality or quantity of water in rivers and aquifers and thus affect water dependant habitats and private water supplies. New development must not have an adverse impact upon water quality (for example by an increase in sewage effluent discharge) or water quantity (for example by preventing recharge to aquifers). The City Council will support initiatives that result in an improvement to water quality (as required by the Water Framework Directive). Policy CC9 also considers water quantity and quality.

Light and noise pollution arising from new development or affecting new development can individually and cumulatively have a damaging impact upon people’s health, living environments and wildlife. Whilst lighting is desirable for safety, recreation and the enhancement of some buildings, inappropriate lighting can cause sky-glow, nuisance, light trespass and it also wastes energy. Inappropriate levels of noise can affect people’s use and enjoyment of their homes, their ability to work or learn and their health. 

Land contamination from former uses is also a key consideration as it has the potential to cause harm to the environment and public health and safety. Unless dealt with appropriately, it can inhibit the re-use of otherwise suitable sites and cause property blight. It is important that potential contamination is identified early to ensure that appropriate remediation measures are incorporated into the scheme. Remediation should remove unacceptable risk and make the site suitable for its new use. Additional advice for developers on the process for assessing contaminated sites and information on remediation works is set out in the City Council’s Contaminated Land Strategy. As explained in this Strategy, voluntary remediation (particularly through development) will be encouraged as a means of dealing with any contamination legacy.  

The City Council encourages pre-application discussions where pollution is or might be an issue. All applications for development must contain sufficient information to enable the City Council to make a full assessment of potential pollution and hazards. Development proposals on land affected by contamination (or where there is reason to suspect contamination) must include an assessment of the extent of the contamination and any possible risks. 

Developers need to demonstrate prior to determination that it is technically and economically viable to resolve any issues and that the resulting development will have, or will result in, a satisfactory standard of amenity and that no unacceptable risks to human health or the environment will remain. This will need to involve adequate assessment by a competent person. 

Activities (including traffic) during the construction and operational phases of development can also have adverse impacts and it may be necessary to submit a Construction and Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). For certain types of development an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be required to ensure that the environmental impacts are comprehensively considered.

Policy HW2 requires development proposals to mitigate and reduce adverse pollution resulting from construction and operational phases of development, and to ensure contaminated land is suitable for the proposed use.

Planning plays an important role in the health and wellbeing of residents. It can promote community inclusion, deliver healthy neighbourhoods, promote active lifestyles, reduce environmental impacts on health and ensure the safety of communities and individuals. Devon County Council have produced a Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy which discusses the importance of new development in addressing these issues. 

On a national level, the Town and Country Planning Association have also launched a campaign that seeks to improve the quality of new houses coming forward in England called ‘Healthy Homes’. This seeks to introduce 11 healthy homes principles that all new homes should meet. A Healthy Homes Bill is currently making its way through Parliament, which if passed into law would place additional responsibilities on Local Planning Authorities to have regard to the healthy homes principles. In the interim, we have sought to address the need for healthy homes in the policies proposed in the Exeter Plan, including this chapter. 

Policy HW1 requires development proposals to consider a number of key health and wellbeing priorities at an early stage in the design of larger developments, and to demonstrate how this will be achieved through a health impact assessment. 

More details on the key requirements to be considered through the development process are provided below.

Development should promote community inclusion by:  

• Delivering a variety of housing tenures and types;
• Supporting a range of employment opportunities;
• Avoiding severance (e.g. by a major road that is difficult to cross); 
• Providing local infrastructure such as schools, social care and community facilities;
• Enabling good access by active travel and public transport; and
• Providing places and buildings which are accessible to all, in particular those with protected characteristics.

Development should encourage healthy neighbourhoods by:

• Avoiding an over-concentration of hot-food takeaways, particularly along routes to schools; 
• Providing allotments where demand exists; and
• Delivering a range of employment premises to support a mix of jobs and encourage independent stores. 

Development should promote active lifestyles by:

• Retaining or providing open, natural and recreational spaces;
• Providing links to open, natural and recreational spaces;
• Minimising the need to travel by car; and
• Encouraging walking and cycling away from main traffic routes.

Development should have a positive impact on health by:

• Creating an attractive environment for housing and employment including street trees and other spaces for wildlife;
• Minimising air and noise pollution and ensuring existing sources do not negatively affect residents;
• Ensuring dust, noise, smoke, light and odours emitted during building works are controlled;
• Ensuring that new homes provide year-round thermal comfort for inhabitants; and
• Including features to mitigate the impact of climate change, especially those providing for urban cooling in the face of rising summer temperatures.

Development should ensure safety and wellbeing by:

• Including appropriate layouts for roads and public spaces that prioritise walking and cycling, manage driving speeds and reduce conflict between road users; and  
• Utilising principles to design out crime, including layouts that provide active frontages and passive surveillance.