Health and Wellbeing Topic Paper

Health and Wellbeing Topic Paper

The South Downs Health and Wellbeing Topic Paper has been prepared to consolidate and summarise high-level information and guidance on “planning for health” in order to inform an appropriate, consistent, and proportionate approach to health and wellbeing in the new South Downs Local Plan.

The Paper provides the area and national policy context (Sections 2-3), summarises publicly available evidence (Section 4), and sets out the approach to health and wellbeing in the new South Downs Local Plan (Sections 5-6).

The Paper highlights the National Park is healthier and less deprived than England and South East. However, there are lower levels of connectivity, and some areas have higher levels of deprivation compared to the rest of the National Park.

The emerging new local plan embeds a holistic and regenerative approach to development, requires health impact assessment (HIA) for certain developments, and includes evidence and policies which respond to the aspects and determinants of the built and natural environments that promote health and wellbeing.

• Health and Wellbeing Topic Paper (March 2026) [Full Report]
• Health and Wellbeing Topic Paper (March 2026) [Executive Summary Only]

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