LDP Evidence Report Health and Safety

 This survey has now closed, 

The finalised Topic paper and  the results of the consultation can be seen under the Topic Paper banner

This survey has been prepared to assist with the formulation of the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan Evidence Report.

This questionnaire focuses on questions associated with the Health and Safety Topic Paper.

National Planning Framework 4 promotes the importance of Health and Safety in Policy 23, which aims to protect people and places from environmental harm, mitigate risks arising from safety hazards and encourage, promote and facilitate development that improves health and wellbeing.

Local Development Plans should create healthier places for example through opportunities for exercise, healthier lifestyles, land for community food growing and allotments, and awareness of locations of concern for suicide.

Local Development Plan spatial strategies should seek to tackle health inequalities particularly in places which are experiencing the most disadvantage. They should identify the health and social care services and infrastructure needed in the area, including potential for co-location of complementary services, in partnership with Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships.

Spatial strategies should maintain appropriate distances between sites with hazardous substances and areas where the public are likely to be present and areas of particular natural sensitivity or interest.

This topic paper explores the evidence relating to health, wellbeing and public safety in Aberdeenshire. It provides an overview of our health profile, areas of health deprivation and some of the key trends, such as our growing aging population. The paper also provides an overview of health facilities and food growing spaces, in addition to road safety and environmental hazards. It identifies what information has been collected and assessed, as well as data gaps, and relevance of that information to the Local Development Plan. The paper identifies car dependency as a contributory factor to several of the areas where improvement to health and safety can be made, such as active travel uptake, obesity, and the rate of road traffic collisions. The paper draws conclusions on the need for reduced car dependency, improved propensity for local living and a joined up approach with key partners such as NHS Grampian to secure contributions towards expanded healthcare facilities in the authority. The paper also identifies areas of health deprivation within Aberdeenshire where future development may have a role in reducing these inequalities and delivering other co-related NPF 4 policies, helping Aberdeenshire become a healthier and safer place to live.

It is likely that this paper will be of particular interest to communities and organisations with an interest in health and wellbeing, and additionally in public safety. 

This survey closes on 3 May 2024

If there are matters that you do not agree with, then these are termed as "disputes". While most disputes made will be resolvable by modification of the topic paper, some will persist. If you make a dispute to this paper, and we cannot agree a solution then the dispute will be referred to a Reporter in the Scottish Government Directorate of Planning and Environmental Appeals in the Spring of 2025.

Please think carefully about registering a dispute, as you may be asked to provide more information to support your position at the Gatecheck Examination.

It will require you to be a registered user and may ask for some personal details to assist us with understanding the points that you are making. Please see our Privacy Statement for more information.

WHILE WE DO NOT INTEND TO PUBLISH THE INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION MADE, THEY WILL BECOME PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD. ALL UNRESOLVED DISPUTES WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE INTERNET AS PART OF THE GATECHECK EXAMINATION.