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Good food is vital to the quality of people’s lives in Bristol. As well as being tasty, healthy and affordable, the food we eat should be good for nature, good for workers, good for local businesses and good for animal welfare (Bristol Good Food Charter).
Access to fresher foods in the city can benefit our health substantially. Over 25 years, the total cost savings from less health treatment and fewer sick days could be as much as £0.3 billion, and may outweigh the investment costs by 5 to 1. Fresher foods could become more readily available if areas of wasteland and greenspace in and around Bristol were used to grow food produce.
To find out how you can be part of the good food revolution head to Bristol Food Network.
Every winter, living in a cold home in England and Wales causes 9,000 or so early deaths – four times the toll of motor fatalities – and significant psychological issues. The problem of cold homes comes down to three interrelated parts: household income, the cost of fuel, and the energy-efficiency of the building. The UK has the oldest building stock in Europe. Often these older homes are single dwellings with poor insulation and heating systems that consume four times as much energy. Not only have our European neighbours updated their building stock, many countries in the north use more efficient and less polluting electric or district heating.
Living in better quality housing would improve our health significantly. Over 25 years, the total cost savings from less healthcare and fewer sick days could be as much as £0.5 billion, and may outweigh the investment costs by 10 to 1. We could improve our health within housing by reducing draughts whilst allowing air to circulate better.
After Edinburgh and London, Bristol has the most amount of green space of any city in the UK. However green space isn’t well distributed, some is on private land and some is underutilised or neglected. Austerity measures have cut government spending on parks and there is concern that new developments might encroach on these spaces.
More greenery in our city would improve our physical and mental health. Over 25 years, the total cost savings from less health treatment and fewer sick days could be as much as £9 billion, and may outweigh the investment costs by 30 to 1. More trees and larger green spaces could achieve these savings.
We all know that cycling and walking is good for us, but there are many barriers to picking up a bike or walking shoes. Cities have been made for cars not people, so it’s easy to understand why. Pavements are uneven and blocked by parked cars, drop kerbs needed for wheelchairs and buggies are infrequent, streets lack the infrastructure to safely support cyclists on their commute…
With more opportunities for people to walk and cycle around Bristol, our health could vastly improve. Over 25 years, the total cost savings from less healthcare and fewer sick days could be as much as £5 billion, and may outweigh the investment costs by 5 to 1. These opportunities might include cycleways and bike storage units, pedestrian zones and playgrounds.