HGB - Opinion: Why Hertfordshire’s Healthy and Safe Places Framework Sets a New Standard for Planning

By Shaun Andrews MRTPI, Director of UK Planning Strategy at Prior + Partners

Trailblazing Health and Safety in planning: Hertfordshire’s bold new framework

Hertfordshire has taken a decisive step into the next era of planning with the launch of the Healthy and Safe Places Framework (HSPF) – the first of its kind in the UK. This pioneering initiative sets a new benchmark for how to strengthen existing areas and plan, design and deliver places that actively support health, wellbeing, and safety. It is not just a guidance document; it is a practical tool for system-wide change.

Why this matters now

Where we live profoundly shapes our health and how we live. Our homes, streets, and neighbourhoods influence everything from physical activity and mental wellbeing to social connection and safety. Yet, too often, these determinants of health are overlooked in planning policy and decision decisions. The result? Persistent health inequalities, rising chronic conditions, and communities that struggle to thrive.

The HPPF addresses this head-on. Developed by Hertfordshire Growth Board in collaboration with Prior + Partners, local councils, NHS partners, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the voluntary sector, the framework embeds health and safety into the DNA of spatial planning.

It aligns with Hertfordshire’s mission for Healthy and Safe Places for All, ensuring that growth and regeneration deliver not just homes and infrastructure, but healthier lives.

A framework for action

At its core, the HPPF sets out seven Healthy Placemaking Principles:

Healthy Homes – ensuring housing supports physical and mental wellbeing.
Healthy Movement and Connectivity – prioritising active travel and safe streets.
Healthy Community Infrastructure – creating inclusive spaces for social connection.
Healthy Natural Environment – protecting and enhancing green spaces.
Healthy Economy – fostering local jobs and economic resilience.
Healthy Places and Neighbourhoods – designing vibrant, accessible communities.
Healthy and Safe Communities – embedding safety and equity throughout.

These principles are underpinned by clear objectives and practical guidance for Local Planning Authorities and, in time, Mayoral or Strategic Authorities. Crucially, the framework is hosted on a digital platform with rich datasets, enabling planners to apply a health lens to growth plans and influence the design of both new and existing places.

National Significance

This is more than a Hertfordshire story. The HPPF anticipates a wider policy shift towards “Health in All Policies”, echoing recommendations from the Lord Darzi Review and the proposed health duty in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill and guidance in current planning policy and emerging new planning legislation. By demonstrating how health can be embedded in Local Plans and Spatial Development Strategies (SDS), Hertfordshire is setting a precedent for counties, combined authorities and future strategic authorities across England.

Collaboration at its heart

The framework is the product of extensive engagement – from planners and public health professionals to housing, transport, and community stakeholders. This collaborative approach reflects a simple truth: creating healthy places is not the job of one sector alone. It requires joined-up thinking, shared ambition, and a commitment to equity.

Looking ahead

The launch of the HPPF is just the beginning. As Hertfordshire moves towards implementing the framework, opportunities abound – from profoundly influencing local plan SDS preparation to shaping local growth strategies to support local decision making.

For Hertfordshire residents, the benefits will be tangible: safer streets, greener spaces, healthier homes, prosperity and communities designed to help everyone thrive.

For the planning profession, the message is clear: health is not an optional extra. It is fundamental to good growth.

About the author
Shaun Andrews MRTPI is Director of UK Planning Strategy at Prior + Partners. He leads work on strategic planning and healthy placemaking, including the development of Hertfordshire’s Healthy and Safe Places Framework and the Living Framework for health equity.