Regulation 19 Rutland Local Plan

Policy INF4:  Supporting Community Health & Wellbeing.

Local authorities have a role in creating a healthy community. Rutland is generally a healthy place, but not everyone experiences good health and wellbeing or equal access to healthcare services given the rurality of the County. This will be particularly important given the ageing profile of existing and future residents. The local planning authority will work closely with relevant stakeholders such as the NHS, the Integrated Care Board's, developers and communities to ensure that future development in Rutland assists in improving health and wellbeing of local residents (and workers) including access to healthcare infrastructure which supports new and growing communities. Healthcare infrastructure will be provided as part of existing communities and strategic sites at an appropriate scale in the form of expanded or new facilities including primary and acute care; pharmacies; dental surgeries; opticians and supporting community services.

What will the policy do?

This policy aims to ensure that the provision of healthcare facilities keeps pace with population growth and changes in healthcare needs. By adopting a proactive and integrated approach, the policy seeks to deliver high-quality, accessible, and sustainable healthcare services that contribute to the overall well-being of the community, including making specific provision for a new medical centre in Empingham.

Why is the Policy needed?

Healthcare infrastructure should be located within or near residential areas to ensure easy access for the majority of the population. Sites should be accessible by public transport, cycling, and walking to promote sustainable transport options and adequate parking facilities should be provided for both staff and patients, including spaces for electric vehicle charging and disabled access. The co-location of health facilities with other community services and facilities will be supported to ensure resilience of service provision and promotion of wider accessibility within the local community. The layout and design of new development can also help to support healthy lifestyles through increasing space for growing food, facilitating multi-functional space, and promoting social hubs and community interaction.

Development proposals should include design measures to encourage healthier lifestyles and sustainable neighbourhoods, proportionate to the scale of a development proposal. Any potential demonstrable adverse impact of proposals on the health and wellbeing of existing or new communities must be mitigated in an appropriate manner. Policy SC5 requires major development proposals to complete a Health Impact Assessment to understand and address health and well-being issues arising.

The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB have identified Empingham Medical Centre as a priority practice and have worked with the practice to find solutions to current and future pressures with their premises. The practice will be directly impacted by the population growth in Rutland and in neighbouring Stamford and wider plans for service expansion to meet resident needs through its membership of Rutland Primary Care Health Network.

A new centre is needed to meet increasing patient numbers, address a lack of existing clinical space and parking. The primary reason for a new building in Empingham is to enable the practice to thrive whilst providing excellent primary care services to the growing population of Rutland. A new site could also offer further benefits to local people by extending the medical services available on site.

The practice list size increased by 40% between 2019 and 2022. Although it has since stabilized, this has only been possible because the practice was forced to restrict new registrations from addresses within the towns of Oakham and Stamford. A new medical centre will allow the practice to re-open registrations to these areas to accommodate a growing population in Rutland. The current surgery premises are restricted in size and layout and cannot accommodate any more clinicians. The practice cannot increase appointment availability without a larger premises to accommodate the clinicians needed to deliver those appointments.

The original surgery was built to serve primarily the people of Empingham. However, around 75% of patients now live outside of Empingham. This means many more patients now travel to the surgery by car, leading to congested parking on the surrounding roads. Relocation of the surgery to a new location where adequate parking facilities can be provided would resolve this issue within the village centre.

In addition to providing primary care services to the growing population of Rutland a new site could offer further benefits to local people such as hosting clinics that are currently located in Leicester and Peterborough, allowing patients to see their consultant in Rutland rather than having to make the longer journey into neighbouring cities. This service would be available not just to patients registered with the practice but also to all Rutland residents. There is further potential to not only provide outpatient appointments but also enhanced services such as minor surgery at the new practice site.

The allocated site is located as part of a housing allocation ref H1.4. The housing development is allocated to act as enabling development. It is expected that the medical centre will be delivered as part of the development of the houses and should form part of a single planning application for the whole site or should be delivered in advance of the housing development. Although it should be noted that the Highway Authority will require each use to be accessed separately from the A606.

Supporting Evidence

Rutland Health and Well-being Strategy
LLR Primary Care – Primary Care Estates Strategy (PCES) for Rutland