News about data centres seems to be everywhere in recent weeks and months, reflecting a spectrum of views ranging from their absolute necessity as critical infrastructure to their inherent threats to our environment and wellbeing .     There are   approximately 500 data centres in the UK , with growth projected at 20% over the next five years , driven by AI and cloud computing.   The Times reported last weekend that nearly 100 centres are currently going through planni

It’s been a hot summer across Europe and much of North America, and this has generated lots of discussion about the impact of heat on our...

Last week the BBC reported from Bath that a lack of public toilets in the city has left elderly people in tears and pushed customers...

On a beautiful summer evening last Tuesday, fifty-odd leaders and practitioners from the built environment, health provision, public...

Earlier this year, before its demise , NHS England published   Neighbourhood Health Guidelines , which stated   “there is an urgent need...

Last October, before the government’s autumn budget, I wrote a blog making a case that the UK is at an inflection point in housing and...

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”  ...

Does objecting to a new housing development in your local community, on the basis that no provision is made for new or expanded GP...

There’s an area in the northeast of England where planners, health providers, arts organisations and local government are collaborating...

Happy new year!   Here’s hoping that sincere wishes for happiness and prosperity in 2025 are met with acknowledgment of some significant...

It wasn’t long ago that these words would look out of place in the same sentence. Why should property developers care about health, or...

On Tuesday this week, World Toilet Day was celebrated across the world – laugh if you want, but it’s a long-established event   led by...

Since my return last month from Uganda and my blog about  how participation in music making has impacted the health of local communities...

Earlier this month the British Medical Journal published results of a survey by the Royal College of GPs on time spent on non-clinical...

As preventative health features prominently in the government’s agenda and in particular as a focus for improving the NHS , I’m...

In the wake of Lord Darzi’s report on the NHS , the IPPR report on the nation’s health , and the government’s renewed focus on...

As the new government tries to reconcile how to grow the economy by accelerating investment in new housing with a commitment to public...

Over the last year I’ve seen more and more reports of the tensions in local communities created by new housing development and the...

“Vulnerability” comes from the Latin word for wound – vulnis. It’s the state of being open to injury, or appearing as if you are. Feeling...

A report came out last week from the Kings Fund and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation giving new evidence to the link between areas of...