Southend-on-Sea faces challenges relating to the health and wellbeing of its residents.
There are inequalities between different areas of the city. Life expectancy is around 10 years lower in the most disadvantaged areas compared with the least disadvantaged.
The population of older and younger people has also grown, meaning there will be greater demands on local services and the need to plan for inclusive environments that meet the needs of all.
As the population grows in Southend-on-Sea so does the demand on health, social care and community services, together with sport and recreation facilities.
Policy DM4.1
Seeks to safeguard community facilities and ensure new facilities are served by a variety of transport options.
Policy DM4.2
seeks to protect against the loss of sports and recreation facilities and prioritise investment to address deficiencies.
The links between Local Plan policies and health and wellbeing are crosscutting. The Local Plan addresses this in Policy SP4, detailing the policies that can have a positive influence on the health and wellbeing of residents.
It sets out the proposed approach for supporting our communities with the facilities and services they need including education, health, sports and recreation.
Proposes Health Impact Assessments and seeks to manage the proliferation of Hot Food Takeaways and Fast-Food Outlets.