Support for Cycling in recent Health Reports

Full info - http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmhealth/286/286.pdf

The built environment

The built environment affects every aspect of our lives. During the inquiry we heard many concerns: high streets awash with fast food outlets, flagship health centres located ‘at random’ and planning policies which have created towns and cities dominated by the car, with out-of-town supermarkets and hospitals, which have discouraged walking and cycling.

In our view, health must be a primary consideration in planning decisions.
To ensure that this happens, we recommend

• The publication of a Planning Policy Statement on health, which should require the creation of a built environment that encourages walking and cycling and should enable local planning authorities to restrict the number of fast food outlets
• that PCTs should be made statutory consultees for local planning procedures.

The Government should also increase the proportion of the transport budget currently spent on walking and cycling.

Policy And Action For Cancer Prevention

Further info - http://www.dietandcancerreport.org

The recommendations for government include:

Ensure that built and external environments are designed and maintained in ways that facilitate physical activity and other healthy behaviour2

Require widespread dedicated walking and cycling facilities throughout built and external environments