Building for a Healthy Life
What is Building for a Healthy Life (BHL)?
Building for a Healthy Life (BHL) is a National Design Code developed in partnership with Homes England, NHS England and NHS Improvement. It provides a simple, practical framework to help improve the design of new and growing neighbourhoods.
BHL has been created so that a broad range of people, from local communities and councillors to developers and project design teams, can use it easily. It focuses discussions on the things that matter most when creating good places to live and is Homes England’s key measure of design quality.
Who is it for?
Local planning and highway authorities: embedding BHL considerations into Local Plans, Local Design Codes, Supplementary Planning Documents and site specific briefs.
Developers and landowners: adopting BHL, using it as a design tool for new developments from the inception of a scheme, rather than after (or towards the end of) the design process.
Councillors and community groups: using BHL as a way to set expectations of new developments. The larger the scale of the development, the broader the engagement needs to be and to help develop a strong understanding of the site and its wider context alongside the needs of the local community.
Design review panels and consultants: using BHL to review the quality of proposed developments, helping stakeholders to understand areas of success alongside areas for improvement prior to construction.
Supports better quality development that meets local needs.
Provides a shared language for design discussions.
Helps reduce conflict and delays in the planning process.
Strengthens design decision-making and review.
Why use BHL?
When should I use BHL?
As with any design code, it is best to discuss the 12 considerations set out within BHL at the very start of the design process. This approach is much more effective than having these discussions later on when a site layout has been produced - and when a considerable amount of time and money will have already been spent.
How we can help you?
designe ltd has trained over 100 practitioners and councillors in the North East in the use of Building for Life. The new BHL guide recognises us as the organisation to provide BHL training, advice, and review in the region. We offer the following services:
Training: Interactive sessions tailored to councils, communities and developers.
Review: Independent assessment of development proposals using the BHL framework.
Advice: Strategic guidance on how to integrate BHL into planning policy and decision-making.