Added Value: Highlighting the importance of health impact assessments for housing developers, communities and key decision makers in England (Presentation slides)

These are the slides from our 5th KNOW-PH webinar which looked at highlighting the importance of health impact assessments.Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) are often required by Local Authorities (LAs) when submitting planning applications for new domestic housing developments. Developers often experience delays in securing planning approvals as the quality, depth and complexity of the HIAs are often variable. A plethora of HIA templates are available, the generic content of which may not meet the needs of key decision makers.This webinar draws on recent workshops KNOW-PH hosted with three Local Authorities across England where NIHR research evidence, practice and policy evidence and experience of HIAs were discussed.Using an example of fast food outlets and the rise in home delivery services we discuss the potential impact and value which robust HIAs can bring to local communities.Drawing on multiple forms of evidence we identified areas of practice which could align the process of using HIAs to support the need to consider the building blocks of health as key to long-term gains for developers, decision makers, local economies and communities beyond the completion of new developments.We propose that there is a need for a shared language and dialogue of health impact assessments, understanding the commercial leverage which HIAs afford for developers, robust community intelligence and the pivotal role housing plays in determining individual and community health outcomes.