With the final ONS consultation on measuring well-being due to end in January 2012, we looked at the existing results and felt the need to ask – is there really anything that matters more than housing? If anyone says anything other than yes, then they would be emotively right, but the figures suggest they might be wrong. Here are some of the reasons why.
The recent release of data gathered by the ONS on measuring well-being outlines the main themes that people across the country said mattered most:
Health
Relationships; including family, friends and a sense of connectedness to a community
Work; in particular, having a job, sufficient income, a sense of financial security and job satisfaction
Environment; in particular access to good local green spaces
Education and training
Fairness and equality
How time is spent; a good work / life balance, time spent outdoors and engagement with cultural or creative activities
Quality and availability of local services; health care, education and transport
Belief and religion
Government; the importance of democracy, in particular accountable and trustworthy politicians
An overall importance on family, friends, health, financial security, equality and fairness
There are several areas where the Localism Bill meets the Health and Social Care Bill in largely unfamiliar territory that could play a significant role in defining the future of the built environment and its impact on improving population health outcomes.
Dealing with public health is typically one area of cross party consensus, despite the political differences in meeting the challenges. One of the new policies of the Conservative led government is the separation of public health policy from the NHS and in doing so it is promoting a much greater focus on preventing people from needing to access the wider NHS system.
The USA opens up debate about community health inequalities, or health report cards, to help local governments focus their efforts on the primary public health issues influencing their particular neighbourhoods.
It is difficult to fly over the UK without marvelling at how green and pleasant the landscape can be. Living in the urban landscape, however, can be hard, dirty and congested, restricting the quality of life – even the life chances – of people who live and work there. These kinds of places, of which there are many, are neither resilient nor prosperous.
The Big Society is to be David Cameron’s political legacy. It is his vision for the future of the country and he is staking his credibility and reputation against it.
As the spending cuts begin to filter through and service reductions begin to hit the public, anger and frustration will mount causing dissatisfaction with political leadership. The Labour opposition have naturally latched on to the Big Society and linked it to the spending cuts: the government wants to do more for less and it is you the public that will do more and the government will cut spending so it does less.
Wildlife and Countryside Link, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Campaign to Protect Rural England, The Country Land and Business Association and Action with Communities in Rural England
Town and Country Planning Association, Planning Officers Society, Royal Town Planning Institute and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
National Association of Local Councils, National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action and Open Spaces Society.
