Oswestry21

Why have the Planning Department not requested the developers of the three potential supermarket/retail parks for Health Impact Assessments as an integral part of their proposals? This is not just common practise, but recommended practise in such cases (West Midlands Public Health Observatory, who have used the edge of town supermarket scenario as their model in their HIA guidance notes), and it would appear that none have been asked for or presented.

Each proposal will have significant impact on physical and mental health issues - localised traffic pollution and noise, increased traffic and associated risk, increased goods lorries movement, noise from refrigeration and air conditioning plant, the effect of restaurants selling high fat, high salt convenience foods, super markets selling cheap, loss leader alcohol, further tobacco sales outlets, the effect of job losses in the retail sector within the town centre and the stress of low pay, low skill jobs created by new retail development. These are all consideration which Health Impact Assessments are designed to analyse and take into account. If you were digging a hole in the road, you would need to supply a risk assessment. The same applies in this case. 

Are the Planning Dept. failing in their duty of care to the town in not requesting these when they are so commonly requested in similar cases? Why have they not been asked for in this case? Would anyone from the Planning Dept. be prepared to supply an answer? Letters will be sent asking for the same information as residents should know why developers are being relieved of the duty of supplying this particular component of their applications in the case of Oswestry. 

It couldn’t possibly be because they all think we’re a bunch of hicks who would never conceivably notice. Could it?