Welcoming the establishment of Public Health Scotland (PHS), the Institute said “town planning should be seen as a crucial preventative investment to drive transformative change and secure a healthier built environment”, but as it stands, the consultation document for PHS falls short in grasping this potential.

Craig McLaren, RTPI Scotland director, said: “There is mounting evidence to show well-planned places promote healthy behaviours, mental and physical wellbeing, and achieve greater equity in health. Planning performs the critical function of aligning transport initiatives, housing strategies and economic development – all of which have a major impact on health outcomes. It is a no brainer.

“A public health body for Scotland can make a real difference if it explicitly recognises the connection between health and planning and puts in the right arrangements and clear remits to ensure it can use planning to bring more upstream, preventative interventions in the long term.”

In its response to the consultation on Public Health Scotland, RTPI Scotland said the newly passed Planning (Scotland) Bill contains many provisions which further embed public health in the planning system, and PHS should work with stakeholders to produce the necessary guidance and delivery, including the creation of regulation to assess the health effects of national or major developments.

PHS should support the Scottish Government to draw up guidance for the roles of chief planning officer for each local authority and a national planning improvement co-ordinator. Provisions for both of these posts are enshrined in the new Bill, the planning body added.

RTPI Scotland also said the remit of PHS should also be better aligned with Local Place Plans and the range of regional strategies and plans including Regional Spatial Strategies, City-region deals, the Infrastructure Investment Plan and Regional Transport Partnerships.

Given the critical impact of long-term place-making on public health, the Institute said it would wish to see an individual on the board with clear ties to the built environment sector.