New online training helps councils use planning powers to promote healthy eating

A new e-learning course designed by Fuse to help local authorities use planning powers to support healthier food environments has launched on the online platform FutureLearn.

‘Planning for a Healthier Food Environment’, developed collaboratively by Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, with academic experts from Teesside University and Newcastle University, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, will go live today (30 April 2025).

The course is aimed at local authority public health and planning professionals but is open to anyone interested in how the built environment can be shaped to promote healthier lives. Learners will gain practical knowledge of the planning system and learn how planning and public health can work together to address rising levels of obesity and poor diet.

Participants have free access to complete the course within four weeks, by selecting the 'limited access' option.

Fuse Deputy Director Professor Amelia Lake and Dr Helen Moore from Teesside University, and Professor Tim Townshend from Newcastle University, led the course development with input from a cross-sector team including from Arup - a global independent firm of designers, engineers, architects, planners, consultants, and technical specialists.

The training is firmly rooted in real-world practice. The project team collaborated closely with 32 English local authorities, whose insights - gathered through a survey - helped shape the course content to reflect practical challenges faced on the ground. This engagement ensured the training speaks directly to the needs of those working in planning and public health.

Professor Amelia Lake, Deputy Director of Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, and Professor of Public Health Nutrition at Teesside University, said:

“Our research has shown that planning decisions can shape food environments and health outcomes. Planning decisions can have a profound impact on people’s health, particularly in terms of access to nutritious food. This training supports local planners and public health teams to confidently use the powers available to them to build healthier environments.”

The course arrives at a crucial time for local government. In December 2024, the Government published its revised National Planning Policy Framework, giving councils greater power to limit new fast-food outlets near schools and areas where children and young people gather. This e-learning forms part of a wider support package to help councils embed public health within planning decisions.

Prof Tim Townshend, Professor of Urban Design for Health, at Newcastle University, said: “Planning policy cannot retrospectively remove permissions for hot food takeaways, however, working with public health colleagues, there are ways of managing their spread in the future as part of the National Planning Policy Framework’s aim of promoting healthy and safe communities.”

Tazeem Bhatia, Chief Nutritionist and Deputy Director in Diet, Obesity and Healthy Behaviours at the Department of Health and Social Care, said:

“This e-learning will be a fantastic resource  to further support both planning and public health professionals in creating healthier food environments. I am delighted that this collaborative piece of work is now available to help in putting policy into practice.”

Key aims of the course include:

• Making the case for health-promoting food environments
• Providing evidence and examples of how planning can influence public health
• Supporting the development of local planning policy and guidance
• Embedding health and wellbeing into continuing professional development for planners and public health teams
• Scaling up consistent use of planning powers across the country to address obesity

The course is now available to access via: Planning for a Healthier Food Environment - Online Course - FutureLearn.

To access for free, please opt for ‘limited access’. With ‘limited access’ you will be provided all course materials on FutureLearn, which will expire after four weeks.

About FutureLearn

FutureLearn is a UK-based online learning platform that offers a wide range of courses, programs, and degrees developed by universities and specialist organisations from around the world. www.futurelearn.com

Photo by Timur Weber from Pexels

Last modified: Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:54:41 BST