commissioners of health care services and infrastructure are consulted and engaged in discussions regarding development proposals;

new health facilities are provided in accessible town and district centre locations and conform to NHS requirements;

opportunities be taken in support of initiatives which enable or improve access to healthy food, for example land for local food growing, allotments or community gardens;

energy efficient design and the location of development contribute to reducing fuel poverty and its associated impacts on health; and

opportunities be taken in support of initiatives which seek to address poor health indicators and anti-social behaviour in the borough.

The NPPF sets out a range of considerations regarding the promotion of healthy and safe communities. This includes an expectation that, amongst other things, planning policies and decisions should take into account and support the delivery of local strategies to improve health, social and cultural well-being for all sections of the community.

Stockport faces a number of health and social care issues including:

an ageing population with increasingly complex care needs and at higher risk of isolation and loneliness. This is because more people live on their own without direct family support;

a population where birth rates have risen, especially in areas of deprivation. This has led to more children and young people living in low-income households where health outcomes are poorer;

changes in the most common health issues experienced by the population, to those which are linked to lifestyles or are otherwise preventable;

a period of economic challenge that affects the incomes and entitlement to the most vulnerable people in Stockport;

services which can be fragmented and complicated to access, having duplications and not being as focused on individual needs as they could be;

a system where too many people are admitted to hospital when they would be better and more appropriately cared for at home; and

increasing financial pressures with deficit forecasts for Stockport as demand growth continues if service delivery is not improved.