Wellbeing and social inclusion

6.1. In the wellbeing and social inclusion theme, we set out policies to secure good growth, supporting delivery of healthy and inclusive communities where needs can be met locally.

Our strategic priority for our wellbeing and social inclusion policies

6.2. Strategic Priority: Help improve equality of access and opportunities for people in Greater Cambridge to lead healthier and happier lives, ensuring that everyone benefits from the development of new homes and jobs.

6.3. The Councils aspire to create healthy, sustainable and inclusive communities. Our places need to enable people to live healthy lives, where they can access the services and facilities they need locally, where people feel safe, they can have active lifestyles with access to high quality green spaces and active travel, and needs can be met throughout their lives. We want our communities to support arts, sports and leisure, with thriving centres which have facilities to support day to day needs as well as creating vibrant cultural centres.

6.4. Many residents of Greater Cambridge benefit from the economic success of the area, through high employment rates and high average pay rates and disposable incomes. This financial prosperity is accompanied by a high quality of life and very high levels of health and well-being. However, there are also significant numbers of people who continue to experience poverty in Greater Cambridge alongside many residents who face challenges to their health, wellbeing and social inclusion due to a high cost of living and lack of affordable housing. Both Councils have corporate priorities to help address these issues. Cambridge City Council have developed a Community Wealth Building Strategy which looks to build an inclusive and sustainable economy whilst tackling poverty and inequality.

6.5. Through the Local Plan we have explored how we can share the benefits of growth with all parts of the community, and the range of policies in this theme reflect the aim to embed health, wellbeing and social through services, facilities and opportunities in new and existing communities.

What our wellbeing and social inclusion policies do

• Ensure health is a key driver in the way places are designed, requiring developers to demonstrate how they have considered health in all aspects of the design process;
• Control the development of fast-food takeaways, particularly near to schools;
• Require a range of services and facilities that will help developments become communities where day to day needs can be met locally;
• Ensure new facilities are properly located in development, and can be accessed by sustainable travel;
• Protect important local facilities, including public houses from being lost unless it is demonstrated that all avenues for their continued use have been fully explored;
• Seek meanwhile and temporary uses in new developments to ensure the needs of early residents can be met until permanent facilities are delivered;
• Support the creation of cultural hubs, where creative and cultural activities can be focused;
• Require that developers provide inclusive employment and training opportunities from construction phases, and opportunities for local workers when buildings are operational.
• Ensure new places are safe for the use proposed, and that they will not have unacceptable pollution impacts on surrounding areas.