Sandwell Local Plan - Reg 19 Publication

6. Health and Wellbeing in Sandwell

Introduction

6.1 The purpose of the planning system in England is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. The built and natural environments are key determinants of health and wellbeing. The NPPF states that one of the three overarching objectives of the planning system is supporting strong, vibrant, and healthy communities. The Health and Social Care Act (2012) gave local authorities new duties and responsibilities for health improvement and requires every local authority to use all levers at its disposal to improve health and wellbeing; local plans are one such lever.

6.2 Sandwell Council recognises the important contribution that planning can make to improving public health and wellbeing and this is embedded throughout this Plan. Well-designed development proposals can support strong, vibrant and healthy communities and help create healthy living environments that encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles. In some instances, however, a proposed development may have a direct negative impact on people's health and in other cases, it may contribute to poor health by encouraging or making it easy for individuals to make unhealthy choices. Particular issues prevalent within Sandwell are obesity and related illnesses, diseases related to smoking, and the effects of alcohol.

Linkages between health and the built and natural environment

6.3 The linkages between health and the built and natural environment are long-established and the role of the environment in shaping the social, economic, and environmental circumstances that determine health is increasingly recognised. Climate change will have a negative impact on health and wellbeing and actions to eliminate emissions and adapt to climate change, such as promoting active travel and improving the energy efficiency of buildings, will also benefit public health through outcomes such as reduced obesity and fuel poverty.

6.4 An increasing body of research indicates that the environment in which people live is linked to health across their lifetime. For example, the design of neighbourhoods can influence physical activity levels, travel patterns, social connectivity, food consumption, mental and physical health, and wellbeing outcomes. These are illustrated below in the Barton and Grant (2010) Health Map.

Figure 4 - Determinants of health and wellbeing (Barton and Grant, 2010)

Health and Wellbeing

6.5 Planning policies and decisions should make sufficient provision for facilities such as health infrastructure and should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive, and safe places that support healthy lifestyles, especially where they address identified local health and well-being needs. Ongoing engagement between Sandwell Council and relevant organisations will help ensure that the SLP supports both these aims.

6.6 Sandwell's unique circumstances give rise to several challenges to health and well-being, which are reflected in its related strategies. Providing an environment that contributes to people's health and wellbeing is a key objective of the Council and its partners in the health, voluntary and related sectors.

6.7 Sandwell has lower rates of both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy than the rest of England, meaning people not only die earlier but live more of their life with ill health, which has implications for their ability to be productive and for how they use the built and natural environment. According to a Local Authority Health Profile for the borough published in 2019 by Public Health England, Sandwell is one of the 20% most deprived districts / unitary authorities in England and about 25.5% (18,495) of its child population live in low-income families^[139].

6.8 Life expectancy is 8.6 years lower for men and 8.0 years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Sandwell compared to the least deprived areas. In Year 6, 28.3% (1,343) of children are classified as obese, which is higher than the average for England. The rate for alcohol-specific hospital admissions among those under 18 is 25^[140]. This represents 20 admissions per year. Levels of teenage pregnancy, GCSE attainment (average attainment 8 score) and breastfeeding are worse than the England average^[141]. Estimated levels of excess weight in adults (aged 18+) and physically active adults (aged 19+) are worse than the England average.

6.9 Previously, the four Black Country Councils and their public health partners worked together on the Black Country Plan to ensure it was aligned with the plans of the area's Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP), as well as with each borough's Health and Wellbeing Strategies. The STP recognised that reducing health inequalities would help reduce financial burdens on the NHS. It also recognised that residents of the Black Country, on average, suffer from poorer health outcomes than people in the rest of England.

6.10 The STP identified several key drivers that play a significant role in the development of future illness in the Black Country, and which directly link to demand for health provision. These are education, employment, wealth, housing, nutrition, family life, transport and social isolation. They are all influenced by the built and natural environment. The Black Country's Health and Wellbeing Strategies identified the following as key priorities for tackling health and wellbeing:

1. healthy lifestyles including physical activity, healthy eating, and addressing tobacco and alcohol consumption and obesity;
2. access to employment, education, and training;
3. quality, affordable homes that people can afford to heat;
4. mental health and wellbeing, including having social connections and feeling lonely or isolated;
5. air quality and the wider environment.

6.11 There is therefore a need for the Sandwell Local Plan to continue to support those initiatives aimed at encouraging healthier lifestyle choices and mental wellbeing and addressing socio-economic and environmental issues that contribute to poor health and inequalities.

Health and Wellbeing

6.12 This policy provides a context for how health and wellbeing are influenced by planning decisions, and signposts other relevant policies in the SLP. Sandwell Council intends to create an environment that protects and improves the physical, social and mental health and wellbeing of its residents, employees and visitors, including children, other young people and vulnerable adults, and which reduces health inequalities.

Justification

6.13 Proposals for major development, or other proposals with the potential to generate negative effects on the mental and physical health and wellbeing of communities, should provide an assessment of their potential impacts through the use of health impact assessments, as set out in the policy.

6.14 Such an assessment should address, where relevant, how the proposed development:

1. is inclusive, safe, and attractive, with a strong sense of place, encourages social interaction and provides for all age groups and abilities;
2. is designed to enable active and healthy lives through prioritising access by inclusive, active, and environmentally sustainable forms of travel, and through promoting road safety and managing the negative effects of road traffic, as set out in Policies STR5, STR6 and STR9;
3. will provide a range of housing types and tenures that meet the needs of all sectors of the population, including older people and those with disabilities requiring varying degrees of care; extended families; low-income households; and those seeking to self-build as set out in Polices SHO3, SHO4 and SHO5;
4. is energy-efficient and achieves affordable warmth; provides good standards of indoor air quality and ventilation; is low carbon; mitigates and / or is adapted to the effects of climate change as set out in Policy SDS2 and Policies SCC1 – SCC6;
5. is designed and located to minimise or exclude adverse impacts on residential amenity, health and wellbeing arising from: noise; ground and water contamination; flood risk; vibration; and poor indoor and outdoor air quality as set out in Policies SCC5, SHW3, SCO1 – SCO3, SDM1;
6. will provide employment opportunities for all skillsets and abilities along with education and training opportunities and facilities that will enable residents to fulfil their potential; support initiatives to promote local employment and procurement during construction as set out in Policies SHO8 and SEC5;
7. will protect and include social infrastructure such as social care, health, leisure, sport and recreation, retail and education facilities close to where people live, which are accessible by means of inclusive, active and environmentally sustainable forms of travel as set out in Policy SHW2, SHW4;
8. will protect, enhance, and provide new green and blue infrastructure, sports facilities, play and recreation opportunities to support access for all and meet identified needs as set out in Policies SNE6, SDS8, SHW4 and SHW5;
9. will protect, enhance, and provide allotments and gardens for physical activity, mental wellbeing, recreation and for healthy locally produced food as set out in Policy SHW6;
10. will provide high-quality broadband and other digital services to homes, educational facilities, employers, and social infrastructure, to support digital inclusion and the application of new technology to improved healthcare, as set out in Policy SID1.

6.15 Sandwell experiences significantly higher-than-average levels of poor health among its population. Issues include obesity and related illnesses, diseases related to smoking and the effects of alcohol. The Council and its partners are concerned about the health of children, other young people and vulnerable adults, both in terms of immediate term safeguarding and the potential long-term consequences that aspects of their lifestyles will have for their health.

6.16 The Council and its partners are engaged in a range of long-term actions to address these issues, as well as to encourage people to take greater responsibility for the choices they make themselves. Planning is one aspect of these actions. In some instances, a proposed development may have a direct impact on people's health that will need to be mitigated. In other cases, it may be that the planning process can contribute to improving health by supporting individuals to make healthy choices, through encouraging a suitable range and mix of shops, outlets and activities.

6.17 Making it easier for people to make these healthy choices will increase the likelihood that they will do so, and this change in behaviour will improve health outcomes over time. Policy SHW1 sets out an approach to assessing development to help influence these issues.

6.18 Proposals for hot food takeaways will be assessed in relation to a range of policies, including Policy SDM6. Betting shops, amusement arcades and similar uses will be considered in line with Policy SDM8.

6.19 Shop uses currently fall within Class E - Commercial, Business and Service of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) and therefore any condition preventing the subsequent establishment of a stand-alone off-licence would apply to any permission within Class E or any successor use class should there be changes within the lifetime of the plan.

Healthcare Infrastructure

6.20 This policy sets out the requirements for the provision of health infrastructure to serve the residents of new developments, in support of Policy SHW1.

Justification

6.21 Meeting Sandwell's future housing needs will have an impact on existing healthcare infrastructure and will generate demand for both extended and new facilities across the Plan area. in addition, it will impact upon service delivery as population growth results in additional medical interventions in the populace. Such facilities need to be in locations that reinforce the wider aims of supporting centres and ensuring accessibility by a range of sustainable and inclusive forms of transport.

6.22 Health services in Sandwell are currently experiencing limitations on their physical and operational capacity, which inhibit their ability to respond to the area's health needs.

6.23 Sandwell Council and its partners, including other healthcare infrastructure providers, have a critical role to play in delivering high-quality services and ensuring essential healthcare infrastructure amenities and facilities are maintained, improved and, where necessary, expanded^[143]. Healthcare infrastructure planning is inevitably an ongoing process, and the Council will continue to work closely with these partners and the development industry to assess and meet existing and emerging healthcare infrastructure needs.

6.24 As Sandwell grows and changes, social and community facilities must be developed that meet the changing needs of the area's diverse community. This will in turn mean that new, improved and expanded healthcare facilities will be required. It is proposed to support and work with the NHS and other health organisations to ensure the provision of health facilities takes place where they are needed in areas subject to new development. Where appropriate, these will be included in supplementary plans and masterplans. It is also proposed to explore opportunities for the co-location of health and other facilities, such as community centres, libraries and sport and recreation amenities.

6.25 Funding for many healthcare infrastructure projects will be delivered from mainstream NHS sources, but for some types of infrastructure, funding may also include contributions from developers. This could relate to the provision of physical infrastructure, such as premises, or social infrastructure, such as the delivery of additional services. These contributions will be secured through planning agreements or planning obligations, in line with the relevant regulations in operation at the time; these are currently the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2010 (as amended). For larger sites that generate the need for new physical infrastructure, delivery will initially be sought on-site or in the site's immediate vicinity. Where this is not possible, or where the contributions will be required to support additional healthcare infrastructure at existing or permissioned new facilities, such provision will be in alternative locations that are accessible to the site. Any new facilities will need to be provided at locations that meet the wider aims of the Policy of supporting centres and of ensuring accessibility by a range of sustainable and inclusive forms of transport.

6.26 In establishing the need for / level of any developer contributions, residential developments will be assessed against the ability of nearby primary, secondary and community healthcare providers to deliver their services without being compromised by demand from additional residents. Assessment of the capacity of existing healthcare facilities to meet the demand generated by the residents of new development uses an established method adopted by the Group Integrated Care System (ICS). Applicants should consult the ICS in advance of the submission of a planning application where a significant amount of housing is to be provided. For current strategic sites, an application of this methodology has identified no requirement for on-site provision for new health facilities. Where there is a requirement for off-site provision this is set out in details of site allocations and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan.

6.27 The formula used for calculating contributions for healthcare provision will be as follows:

• Build costs will be updated on an annual basis and the formula will be reviewed when required by changes in NHS practice or significant changes in build or operational costs.

6.28 The Viability and Delivery Study provides evidence that greenfield sites and most brownfield sites can sustain the full range of planning obligations required. However, the Viability and Delivery Study also indicates that, depending on the extent of other planning obligations required, such contributions may not be viable on some sites. Where it can be proved that it is not viable for a housing developer to fund all its own healthcare needs, alternative funding sources will be sought.

Air Quality

6.29 Promoting healthy living is a key element of the Sandwell Local Plan. Reducing exposure to poor air quality will help improve the health and quality of life of the population and support the Plan's aims and objectives^[144]. The need to address climate change and its associated impacts will include the need to tackle pollution and poor air quality, especially where it has impacts on both human and environmental health.

6.30 The WHO published data on the impacts of ambient and household air pollution on human health for the European High-Level Conference on Non-Communicable Diseases held in April 2019. The paper stated that more than 550,000 deaths in the WHO European region were attributable to the joint effects of household and ambient air pollution in 2016, with over 500,000 being due to ambient air pollution and more than 50,000 to household air pollution^[145].

6.31 According to the 2019 Clean Air Strategy published by DEFRA^[146],

• Air pollution is the top environmental risk to human health in the UK, and the fourth greatest threat to public health after cancer, heart disease and obesity. It makes us more susceptible to respiratory infections and other illnesses, and we estimate that the actions outlined in this document could cut the costs of air pollution to society by £1.7 billion every year by 2020, rising to £5.3 billion every year from 2030.

6.32 Paragraph 4.1 of the same publication outlines the impacts of air quality on economic growth. Cleaner air helps to reduce the likelihood of workplace absences through ill-health; the strategy identifies that particulate matter; nitrogen dioxide and ozone were estimated to be responsible for total productivity losses of up to £2.7 billion in 2012. Clean air also helps to create and sustain a pleasant and attractive living and working environment, which is more likely to encourage growth and investment in an area.

6.33 Following adoption of the Black Country Core Strategy in 2011, further guidance and advice was provided in the Black Country Air Quality Supplementary Planning Document, adopted in 2016. This built on work undertaken on the West Midlands Low Emissions Towns and Cities Programme, including the West Midlands Good Practice Air Quality Planning Guidance (2014). The planning guidance offered further advice on issues around ambient and indoor air quality and model conditions for use by the local planning authorities.

6.34 The approach to air quality set out in the joint document will need to be revisited, considering new national legislation, regulations and targets, and regional and sub-regional developments regarding air quality, and in light of the abolition of supplementary planning guidance and documents.

Justification

6.35 National planning guidance identifies the need for local planning authorities to address the problems created by pollution, in terms of poor air quality and its impacts on human and environmental health. Major air pollutants that impact on human health include particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5 and fine / very fine particulates) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). These gases may also combine to create ozone, a greenhouse gas that impacts on the atmosphere.

6.36 The main cause of poor air quality across the Black Country is related to vehicular transport. Locations have been identified that do not comply with current national objectives and that will result in relevant exposures; there are several air quality hotspots where on-going monitoring is required. Sandwell Council is working to reduce pollutant concentrations and to minimise exposure to air quality that does not meet with national objectives. Like the other Black Country Councils, it has declared air quality management areas to try to address the issue of poor air quality and provide protection for human health.

6.37 It is important that development likely to have a negative impact on air quality is fully assessed and measures taken to make it acceptable, particularly in parts of the Black Country where air quality is currently, or is likely to become, a concern. Most developments will have a moderate air quality impact, which can be dealt with through standard mitigation measures, without the need for an Air Quality Assessment (AQA), as detailed in the Black Country Air Quality SPD. These standard mitigation measures are designed to deal with the cumulative impact of many moderate impact developments over time and over a wide area.

6.38 AQAs should be proportionate to the type and scale of development proposed, in accordance with the guidance provided by the Black Country Air Quality Supplementary Planning Document and relevant national standards for air quality. National planning policy guidance on air quality offers several examples of what might usefully be incorporated in such assessments, including baseline conditions, specific concerns, the assessment methods to be adopted, the basis for assessing impact and determining the significance of an impact and mitigation^[148].

6.39 For some developments a basic screening assessment of air quality is all that will be required, whereas for other developments a full AQA will need to be carried out, using advanced dispersion modelling software. An appropriate methodology informed by the Black Country Air Quality SPD should be agreed with the relevant development management team / officer on a case-by-case basis.

6.40 Where a potentially adverse impact on air quality is identified, mitigation measures may include:

1. increasing the distance between the development and the pollution source;
2. using green infrastructure, particularly trees, to help absorb dust and other pollutants (see Policy SNE3 – care must be taken to ensure the type and location of such trees do not exacerbate air pollution by trapping it close to the street^[149]);
3. using ventilation systems to draw cleaner air into buildings;
4. improving public transport access to all development;
5. implementing travel plans to reduce the number of trips generated;
6. implementing low emission strategies;
7. controlling dust and emissions from construction, demolition and working projects.

Open Spaces and Recreation

6.41 The principles of national planning policy on open space and informal recreation need to be applied in a Sandwell context to support the vision for urban renaissance and environmental transformation and to deliver opportunities for safe, attractive, functional, linked and accessible green spaces for people to relax and exercise in and enjoy. This resource also promotes the enhancement of the natural environment to support greater biodiversity, maximises benefits for health and well-being, helps to mitigate and adapt to climate change and promotes economic regeneration.

6.42 All open spaces and informal recreation provision in Sandwell, both existing and proposed, are subject to the policies and requirements of national planning guidance as well as more detailed local policies. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out national policy for the protection of existing open space and informal recreational buildings and land, which should be read alongside Policy SHW4. The policy will also apply to any areas of open space that may not have been identified on the Policies Map or that fall below the 0.2ha cut-off utilised in the most recent open space audit (2024).

6.43 It should be noted that Policy SHW4 relates to the strategic approach to open space and recreation, whereas Policy SHW5 relates specifically to playing fields and built sports facilities.

6.44 Up-to-date local need assessments are central to the implementation of national policy. Local standards for different types of open space and recreation facilities have been developed for Sandwell, based on robust audits and needs assessments. These standards will form the basis for the application of national planning guidance.

6.45 To promote healthy living, it is important that open space, opportunities for informal recreation, and places that people visit every day such as shops and schools, are located and designed so that people are encouraged to walk or cycle to them from their homes. This can be achieved through:

1. location of key facilities in the most accessible locations;
2. meeting open space quantity, quality and access standards;
3. setting of accessibility standards for new housing developments;
4. co-location of key facilities and the promotion of community use, such as the use of school facilities by local people;
5. on and off-site measures such as signage and cycle storage;
6. encouraging implementation of the Sport England Active Design policy.

Justification

6.46 Being in green spaces boosts various aspects of thinking, including attention, memory and creativity, in people both with and without depression^[154], as well as producing positive improvements in physical and mental wellbeing. All features of the outdoor environment contribute to environmental infrastructure, including natural and semi-natural habitats, parks and other open spaces, formal and informal recreation, historic buildings and landscapes, the public realm of spaces and streets, rivers, canals and drainage systems.

6.47 Sandwell's previous local plan identified an open space hierarchy in Sandwell, intended to -

• "… analyse existing provision of green /open space, to identify strengths and weaknesses in the provision, and to guide decisions about improvements, new and replacement provision, and development proposals which impact on the provision."

6.48 The hierarchy identified types of open space, ranging from regional / sub regional spaces, such as Sandwell Valley and strategic open spaces such as the Rowley Hills down to local formal and informal areas of open space, such as gardens, playgrounds and landscaped public spaces. The hierarchy is set out in Appendix J.

6.49 The provision of high-quality open space to serve new residential developments and the improvement of existing open spaces is critical to the overall aims of urban renaissance and environmental transformation. Policy SHW4 therefore identifies the functions of open space that are of importance to Sandwell, in addition to those set out in national guidance.

6.50 Greenways are defined as linear features of mostly open character, including paths through green spaces, canal corridors and disused railway lines (although some of these could be brought back into rail use in the future), which act as wildlife corridors and provide attractive and safe off-road links for pedestrians and cyclists. They form an important network throughout the Black Country but in some cases are of poor quality or are severed by other infrastructure or barriers. The restoration of towpaths, bridges, public rights of way and the creation of cycle and pedestrian links to enhance the greenway network will be sought through planning conditions and obligations, transportation funding, and the support of other organisations such as the Canal and River Trust. Blue infrastructure features such as rivers and streams also provide opportunities for physical activity.

6.51 Open space and play standards and requirements are set out in Appendix J and will be subject to review as evidence is updated over the Plan period.

6.52 Some common themes regarding open space and recreation have emerged through audits and needs assessments. Communities greatly value local open spaces. However, quantity and accessibility for each type of open space and facility varies considerably from area to area, and an increasing population in certain areas of Sandwell over the Plan period will further affect these imbalances. In general terms, prosperous areas have low levels of provision but of a higher quality, whereas deprived areas may have sufficient quantities of open space but of limited quality and function.

6.53 The policy uses quantity and accessibility of open space as a proxy for determining whether open space is surplus to requirements, and whether it is appropriate for the open space to be lost to development. Consideration as to whether there is a robust and overriding matter of public interest at stake that outweighs the loss should account for the multifunctional role of open space including the role it may play in nature recovery. Open space that is determined to be of low quality and / or has a low value score will not be automatically considered suitable for release and must accord with the policy requirement above.

6.54 The Natural England Green Infrastructure Standards (2023) recommends a quantity standard of 1 hectare of Local Nature Reserve (LNR) per 1,000 population. Sandwell currently has 0.839 hectares of designated LNR per 1000 population^[155]. An additional 55.38 hectares of LNR is required to meet the Natural England Standard at current population levels. Sandwell Council and its partners will look to identify new LNR sites within the borough during the plan period subject to the resolution of viability and deliverability issues.

Sports and playing pitches

6.55 Playing pitch strategies for the four Black Country authorities were updated during 2021-22 and this evidence has informed the SLP. The Sandwell strategy will be updated as appropriate during the Plan period and new priorities may therefore emerge over time.

6.56 The Black Country-wide Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy commissioned by the four councils has provided action plans for each of the individual authorities and this in turn has been used to identify the quantitative and qualitative situation for sports pitch and playing field provision in Sandwell.

6.57 The current Sandwell Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy action plan identifying the quantitative situation for playing field provision was produced in October 2022. Where appropriate, developers will need to demonstrate that they have taken account of the findings of the Sandwell PPOSS in their schemes.

Justification

6.58 Publicly accessible urban open space, play and sports facilities all have a vital role to play in helping to promote healthy lifestyles. As sports participation rates in the Black Country are below the national average, needs assessments for sports facilities will consider the need to increase sports participation and improve health as well as meet existing needs. Existing and potential cross-boundary effects will also be considered when developing proposals that would affect sports facility provision. Cross-boundary issues particularly affect facilities with large catchment areas, such as swimming pools.

6.59 An issue in Sandwell is the low quality of playing pitch sites, which would benefit from improved changing facilities and a shift towards more small pitches. Increasing community access to school sports facilities would also help to address shortfalls in some areas.

6.60 This policy recognises that, in some circumstances where there is a significant gap in provision of natural turf playing pitches or built sports facilities such as courts and swimming pools, it may be necessary for housing developments to contribute towards improvements to such facilities over and above general open space and recreation contributions. In such cases, the Sport England Playing Pitch and Sports Facilities Calculator tools will be used to determine an appropriate level of contribution. The high capital and revenue costs of such facilities and the challenges of securing appropriate, long-term management and maintenance for them are recognised. Contributions will be considered alongside requirements for other infrastructure in the context of scheme viability.

6.61 From a quantitative perspective and as set out in the Sandwell Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy Action Plan^[156], the existing position for each sport is either that demand is being met or that there is a shortfall in provision. An estimated future position (based on anticipated future housing provision in Sandwell) shows the development of new shortfalls for some pitch types and in some areas where demand is currently being met, as well as the exacerbation of existing shortfalls. There are current shortfalls of adult, youth 11v11, youth 9v9 and mini 7v7 football pitches as well as 3G pitches, cricket squares and rugby union pitches, all of which will be exacerbated when addressing future demand driven by new housing provision.

6.62 Where demand is currently being met, this does not necessarily mean that there is a surplus of provision; any spare capacity is effectively taken up in overcoming current or future shortfalls. There is a need to protect all existing outdoor sport provision until demand is met, or a requirement to replace provision in accordance with the NPPF and Sport England's Playing Fields Policy.

6.63 The Action Plan and Strategy identified that contributions from housing developments could be pooled together to improve key sites and listed those high-priority locations that would provide the most benefit from additional investment:

• Barnford Park
• Birmingham County FA Headquarters
• Britannia Park
• Cakemore Playing Field
• Charlemont Playing Fields
• Hadley Stadium
• Hydes Road Playing Fields
• Lion Farm Playing Fields
• Sandwell Academy
• Tipton Sports Academy
• Warley Rugby Club
• West Bromwich Dartmouth Cricket Club
• West Smethwick Park

6.64 However, if high priority sites in the local area of the development cannot be identified for investment, contributions should be pooled to fund the creation of new provision, particularly for cricket, in consultation with Sport England and the relevant NGB, to ensure the potential provision would be utilised and sustainable.

6.65 There are other solutions available to help meet existing shortfalls, including by better utilising current provision, such as through:

• improving quality;
• re-configuration;
• installing additional floodlighting;
• improving ancillary facilities;
• enabling access to existing unused provision, such as at unavailable school sites.

6.66 However, there remains a shortfall of 3G pitches that can only be met through increased provision. With resources to improve the quality of grass pitches being limited, particularly at sites managed by the Council, an increase in 3G provision could also help reduce grass pitch shortfalls through the transfer of play, which in turn can reduce overplay and aid pitch quality improvements.

6.67 The proposed reallocation of Lion Farm to deliver housing and employment development will result in the loss of several extant playing pitches currently in use at the site. These will be replaced, and where required the remaining pitches and facilities on site upgraded, prior to the commencement of any development on site.

6.68 The locations that have been identified as having capacity to provide potential replacement pitches are:

Allotments

6.69 The Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 placed a duty on local authorities to provide sufficient allotments according to local demand. It also made provision for local authorities to compulsorily purchase land to provide allotments.

6.70 The National Model Design Code states that as part of open space design for large developments consideration should be given to the provision of land for allotments and community growing projects for food production, learning and community engagement.

6.71 Sandwell currently contains 34 allotment sites that in turn provide around 1,336 plots; it encourages the continued use of allotments and will support the use of green space for local food growing, including community farming, gardening and orchards.

Justification

6.72 Allotments and community agriculture are important to local communities, and they have a unique place in Britain's heritage.

6.73 Allotments have nature conservation and open space value alongside their primary use for food growing. Allotment sites will be strongly protected unless it can be clearly demonstrated that their use is no longer required.

6.74 A study carried out in 2016^[157] identified that allotment gardening can result in significant improvements in self-esteem and mood via reductions in tension, depression, anger and confusion. These findings are supported by previous research demonstrating the health and well-being benefits of participating in green exercise activities.

6.75 Further evidence^[158] on the social, physical and mental benefits of allotment gardening demonstrates that:

1. it provides various environmental benefits, including the support and regulation of ecosystem services;
2. it results in more sustainably produced food, promotes healthy eating and acts as an educational resource;
3. it improves general health, aids recovery from stress, increases life satisfaction, promotes social contact and provides opportunities for low to moderate–high intensity physical activity, all of which promote mental wellbeing;
4. people who grow their own food are happier than those who do not;
5. compared with an indoor exercise class, allotment gardening results in significantly lower levels of stress.

6.76 Allotment gardening may also play a key role in promoting health and wellbeing in the more vulnerable groups in society, through the opportunities they provide for the development of social support and cohesion.