Agenda item

(time limit 15 minutes).

Councillor Chauhan to MOVE and Councillor M Bashforth to SECOND:

Creating a healthy and thriving Oldham

Oldham Council notes:
• That good health is more than the lack of disease or illness.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that 13 million deaths annually are attributable to preventable environmental causes. WHO estimates that 24% of the global disease burden (healthy life years lost) and 23% of all deaths (premature mortality) are attributable to environmental quality.
• For Oldham residents to thrive good mental, physical and social wellbeing is essential.
• Health and wellbeing has an important relationship to income, quality employment, decent housing, access to basic services including education, physical activity, a good quality built environment, the natural environment and cultural and social fulfilment.
• That access to affordable, quality healthy food is essential to good health.
• The number of environmental factors locally, such as the sale of harmful products and unhealthy food, impacts directly on health in our communities.
• Environmental factors within Oldham have resulted in a higher than the national average number of deaths from heart disease and smoking related illness, and vast health inequalities and gaps in life expectancy between different parts of our borough
• Of particular concern is the health of young people and Oldham has unacceptably high levels of childhood obesity, young people smoking and children with poor dental hygiene. Furthermore, low quality environments impact upon the quality of mental health

This Council believes:
1. That immediate action is required to eradicate environmental factors contributing to poor health and wellbeing of residents
2. The council and its partners has an important role to play to protect health and wellbeing of residents

This council resolves:
1. To create a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) process  as a means of evidence-based policy in order to make improvements in health and wellbeing. Any policy, project or programme that does not necessarily have health as its primary objective will be subject to a robust Health Impact Assessment

2. To use this process to develop Health Improvement Zones in areas where environmental factors have a significant detrimental impact on the health and well being of local communities, developing additional policies where needed e.g. Supplementary Planning Documents aimed at managing the availability of unhealthy take away food.

Creating a Healthy and Thriving Oldham

Councillor Chauhan MOVED and Councillor M. Bashforth SECONDED the following MOTION:

“Oldham Council notes:

·         That good health is more than the lack of disease or illness.

·         The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that 13 million deaths annually are attributable to preventable environmental causes.  WHO estimates that 24% of the global disease burden (healthy life years lost) and 23% of all deaths (premature mortality) are attributable to environmental quality. 

·         For Oldham residents to thrive good mental, physical and social wellbeing is essential.

·         Health and wellbeing has an important relationship to income, quality employment, decent housing, access to basic services including education, physical activity, a good quality built environment, the natural environment and cultural and social fulfilment. 

·         That access to affordable, quality healthy food is essential to good health.

·         The number of environmental factors locally, such as the sale of harmful products and unhealthy food, impacts directly on health in our communities.

·         Environmental factors within Oldham have resulted in a higher than the national average number of deaths from heart disease and smoking related illness, and vast health inequalities and gaps in life expectancy between different parts of our borough.

·         Of particular concern is the health of young people and Oldham has unacceptably high levels of childhood obesity, young people smoking and children with poor dental hygiene.  Furthermore, low quality environments impact upon the quality of mental health

This Council believes:

1.         That immediate action is required to eradicate environmental factors contributing to poor health and wellbeing of residents.

2.         The Council and its partners has an important role to play to protect health and wellbeing of residents.

This Council resolves:

1.         To create a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) process as a means of evidence-based policy in order to make improvements in health and wellbeing.  Any policy, project or programme that does not necessarily have health as its primary objective will be subject to a robust Health Impact Assessment.

2.         To use this process to develop Health Improvement Zones in areas where environmental factors have a significant detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of local communities, developing additional policies where needed, e.g. Supplementary Planning Documents aimed at managing the availability of unhealthy take away food.

Councillor Harkness spoke in support of the Motion.

Councillor Judd spoke in support of the Motion.

Councillor S. Bashforth spoke in support of the Motion.

Councillor Chauhan exercised his right of reply.

On being put to the vote, the MOTION was CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

RESOLVED that:

1.         A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) process as a means of evidence-based policy in order to make improvements in health and wellbeing be created.  Any policy, project or programme that did not necessarily have health as its primary objective would be subject to a robust Health Impact Assessment.

2.         This process to be used to develop Health Improvement Zones in areas where environmental factors had a significant detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of local communities, developing additional policies where needed, e.g. Supplementary Planning Documents aimed at managing the availability of unhealthy take away food.