Planning for a Healthier Food Environment

UK Health Security Agency via FutureLearn

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Details

Provider

FutureLearn
Pricing

Free Online Course (Audit)
Languages

English
Certificate

Paid Certificate Available
Duration & workload

4 weeks, 2 hours a week
Sessions

On-Demand
Level

Beginner

Found in

Shape healthier communities through urban planning and food policy

Food access is critical in determining people’s health and well-being. Understanding its influence is essential for addressing inequities and promoting healthier communities.

Join the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, within the Department of Health and Social Care, on this flexible four-week course, and discover how urban planning and public health intersect to create healthier communities.

With practical applications and illustrative insights, this course will help you achieve strategic public health priorities while supporting sustainable economies.

Promote healthy weight environments

Begin by exploring the key drivers of a healthy weight environment – defining food environments and discussing food access’s role in shaping dietary choices.

You’ll examine the evolution of public health planning, reviewing historical approaches and gaining insight into modern policies that support healthier lifestyles.

Understand planning systems and health policy frameworks

Next, dive into key policy powers and levers that local authorities use to consider health and well-being through the planning process.

You’ll explore the National Planning Policy Framework, local and strategic plans, and how Health Impact Assessments and Supplementary Planning Documents can support healthier communities and a healthier weight environment.

Leverage strategies for improved urban health

The course concludes by showing how local authorities and organisations use planning policies and complementary non-planning approaches to address food environment challenges.

You’ll explore strategies like exclusion zones, hot food takeaway policies, and Joint Strategic Needs Assessments, and see how aligning these strategies supports healthier weight environments.

This course is designed for urban planners, public health professionals, policymakers, and researchers interested in creating healthier food environments.

You’ll also find this course helpful if you’re working in local government, community health, or sustainability, and if you’re looking for a greater understanding of the role planning plays in shaping food access and public health outcomes.

Syllabus

Making the case for promoting a healthy food environment in relation to public health and understanding the history of planning in relation to public health

Introduction
What is the food environment and how does it influence people’s food choice?
What is the prevalence of excess weight in England and how can it affect people’s health?
Is the prevalence of excess weight equal across society?
Understanding the history of planning in relation to public health
How can planning promote a healthier food environment to help prevent excess body weight?
Week 1 Glossary
Quiz
End of week summary

Understanding the planning system and policy framework

Why should we plan for public health and wellbeing?
Who makes local planning decisions?
What is the National Planning Policy Framework and how does it incorporate health?
How can the National Planning Policy Framework be applied?
What are strategic plans, and how is aligning them beneficial to planning?
What are local plans and how do they incorporate health?
What are Supplementary Planning Documents?
What are Health Impact Assessments?
What are use classes? How are these relevant to healthier food environments?
When is planning permission required?
How does the appeals process work?
End of week quiz
End of week summary

Using planning, and complementary non-planning, approaches to promote a healthier food environment

How does a concern for proliferation of less healthy food establishments relate to planning policy?
What is the association between hot food takeaway proliferation, health and equalities?
How are planning approaches used to promote a healthier food environment?
What are other approaches in planning to promote a healthier food environment?
How has planning guidance, documents and policy on hot food takeaways faired at appeal?
How and why is a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment important to planning a healthy weight environment?
Why is aligning strategies beneficial to planning?
Complementary non-planning plans and strategies: where can guidance be found?
Local Practice Example: Essex – “TuckIN: Making Food Better”
What are the key learnings from TuckIN?
How can the support of elected members be ensured for these strategies?
End of week quiz
End of week summary

Making the evidence work effectively in planning for a healthy weight environment

What are the challenges of integrating health with planning?
How can evidence be used effectively in planning and to support planning decisions?
How can data tools be used to create a robust evidence base required for planning?
Collating evidence on obesity prevalence and trends at national and local level for adults and children
Applying a whole systems approach in planning and responding to future trends
Putting the data together to build the local evidence base
Local Practice Example: The Gateshead Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document
What makes Gateshead Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document robust?
What are the key learnings from the Gateshead Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document
End of week quiz
Summary