HIA of a proposed housing re-development scheme
Resource/Evaluation type:
Completed HIA
Subject area:
Energy- Housing
Summary
United Kingdom - 2002
This report describes the HIA of a proposed housing re-development in Llangeinor, a small former coalmining community in Southern Wales.
Once a thriving community, Llangeinor was faced with economic, social and cultural decline as a consequence of the de-industrialization process. The population combined significant levels of under-employment, financial deprivation, lack of access to shops and services, poor housing and social exclusion.
A team from the University of Cardiff carried out the HIA, using the Merseyside Guidelines. These proved useful as a means of identifying and assessing the health determinants likely to be affected by decisions on housing. Being based on a social rather than medical model of health, they were appropriate for an intervention liable to have wide-ranging impacts.
Central to this HIA was the active involvement of the local community. A steering group ensured that the governance of the process was achieved through partnership and enabled access to key informants, as well as other sources of local information. All steering group meetings and the community meeting were held locally.
According to the authors, not being part of the local council had advantages in terms of independence and this was appreciated by local residents. However, the interface between the research and its dissemination into the decision-making arena proved difficult because of a lack of familiarity with local mechanisms for decision-making.
More information
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Housing, health and well-being in Llangeinor
Access to the downloadable report - Welsh Health Impact Assessment Support Unit
Authors
Eva Elliott and Gareth Williams
Owner contact details
Professor Gareth Williams
Welsh Health Impact Assessment Support Unit
School of Social Services
Cardiff University
King Edward VII Avenue
Cardiff CF10 3WT
www.cardiff.ac.uk