Consider whether Health Impact Assessment would be worthwhile for the Essay

Consider whether Health Impact Assessment would be worthwhile for the Lancashire County Councils transport strategy for 2011-2021 - Essay Example This gives the project a frontline in laying down a Health Impact Assessment. Lancashire County Council’s transport strategy for 2011-2021 has put forth a Masterplan; Central Lancashire Highways and Transport Masterplan to address problems associated with highway transport system in Lancashire County. The Masterplan sets out to overseeing the future of Central Lancashire Highway and transport networks. Among the options listed for the improvement of the future of Lancashire’s transport system include, improving on the available existing infrastructure to expand on the highway and transport system. The result will be fruitful, as it will significantly improve public transport in the country. Nevertheless, despite the improvement of public transport in the country, does the policy have any impact on the health of the community at Lancashire? Stages of HIA include screening as first step whereby possible health impacts of the project are identified, wide range of stakeholders and informants are met with, stakeholders examine project details. In Lancashire, the Masterplan has stakeholders who are the city dwellers and collaborating partners. It also has informants who are the ones who have come up with the idea of Highway expansion. Project details such as the budget, the timeframe, and labor force can be examined from the Masterplan. In addition, HIA must possess the characteristics of a project touching on the health of the public at large. Lancashire Highway and transportation Masterplan will greatly affect the health of the public in both a positive and negative way. For instance, public health is affected by a range of factors, which may include housing, employment opportunities, security of the public and education, to mention but a few. The Lancashire Highway and Transportation Masterplan touches on all these aspects. To support this,all public realms for the Masterplan are designed with safety improvement at mind. In inner East Preston,