A unique collaboration between the WHO Healthy Cities Collaborating Centre, Bristol City Council and Bristol NHS is spawning a new approach to development management. Sitting within a rich seam of planning and health policy collaboration in the Bristol local strategic partnership; this innovative approach uses a health triage method for the screening of planning applications. Initial work on the approach was supported by a departmental planning student placement. An ongoing programme of action research is focussing on design and testing of new working practices to sift through the council’s many monthly planning applications according to potential risks health. Using wider determinants of health model, applications will be rapidly assessed for potential risk to public health; including physical activity, health inequalities and diet. The outcome of this will be used to categorise applications according to risk and so better focus limited technical resources that can be used to support health and well-being. Final policies and processes are still in development, and it is hoped that the highest risk developments will trigger a full health impact assessment
