Agenda item

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Scrutiny Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health which provided an overview of how Public Health were working in partnership with colleagues across the Place Directorate to reduce health inequalities linked to the environment in Coventry. Information was provided about the impact of the physical and socioeconomic environment on health inequalities; the way the sections had collectively worked to reduce inequalities; the projects and initiatives that aimed to make a difference; and the planned next steps.

Reducing health inequalities was a key priority in the Council Plan and statistics from Public Health England indicated that health inequalities were reducing in Coventry.

The report referred to the Local Plan which had been prepared to guide how the city would grow and develop to help meet the aspiration for Coventry becoming a top ten city. A public health practitioner now worked alongside the planning policy team leading on embedding health and wellbeing across all aspects of the planning process including input into the Local Plan. The Plan now contained specific policy guidance on health and wellbeing. It promoted active travel, access to healthy food, improved housing quality, and adequate provision of green spaces and improvements to air quality.

Reference was made to the Cycle Coventry project where the Council had improved facilities for cyclists and pedestrians focusing on areas of deprivation in the southwest and northeast of the city. Additional funding from Public Health had enabled over 1,100 children and adults to access cycle training and bike maintenance sessions.

The Public Health Department was also working with the Place Directorate on a range of initiatives to increase the use of open spaces by people experiencing greater deprivation including investing in outdoor gym equipment for Swanswell Park and working with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to operate a series of green gyms along the city’s river corridor, a physical activity programme through outdoor environmental work.

Other areas of joint work included initiatives to promote physical activity; working with Coventry University to deliver a range of interventions to contribute to healthier eating; support to households in fuel poverty; and the establishment of the Coventry and Warwickshire Air Quality Alliance.

Attention was drawn to Licensing and to the recent addition of a public health practitioner to represent the Director of Public Health to act as the public health lead on all alcohol licensing matters. The Board were informed that a number of new paragraphs had been added to Coventry’s Statement of Licensing Policy acknowledging that the Director of Public Health was now a Responsible Authority strengthening the inclusion of public health principles in licensing decisions.

The members questioned the officers on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

·  Further information about what was being done in areas where there was an abundance of fast food takeaways and best practice from other local authorities

·  Further information about what could be done to improve the nutritional content of food being sold at fast food takeaways and the current number of these establishments in the city compared to previous years

·  What was being done as regards to getting the message out as to how people could improve their health and well-being and, in particular, reaching all the different communities in the city including engaging with community and religious groups

·  Further details about what constituted a top ten city and the need to inform Members about what improvements were required to be able to reach this aspiration

·  The work undertaken in schools to encourage healthy eating and physical exercise

·  A concern that there had been an increase in the number of teenage pregnancies.   

RESOLVED that:

(1) The suggested approach for continuing to reduce health inequalities in Coventry be endorsed and the measures in the Local Plan to add green spaces in areas of need be supported.

(2) An update on the measures supported by Public Health and the Place Directorate to reduce health inequalities linked to the local environment be submitted to a future meeting of the Board in the next municipal year, when the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report is being considered.

(3) Briefing notes detailing the following additional information be circulated to all Members of the Board:

i) Details of the recent changes to the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy which strengthens the inclusion of public health principles in licensing decisions

ii) Details of the current number of takeaways in the city compared to 5 years ago, with additional information being provided in 12 months to assess the effectiveness of the new licensing policy.

iii) An update on the numbers and trends concerning teenage pregnancies.