Transport networks in the UK contribute to a number of health hazards and health inequalities in both urban and rural areas. Poverty and disadvantage is strongly correlated with air pollution, noise and road collisions. Vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, people with mental disability or long-term illnesses are also more exposed to the health-related externalities of the transport system.
However, transport and spatial planning can be powerful tools for improving the conditions that influence health. Using these tools effectively requires engagement with the public health evidence base, the technical aspects of planning and integrated community development approaches that promote active travel and well-connected places.
WHY ATTEND?
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Environmental pollution and physical inactivity are key health risks, yet recent research outcomes remain hopeful. Studies show that the evidence for positive impacts related to increasing physical activity is encouraging, especially for town and city-wide interventions.
Addressing health in communities means ensuring that all professionals involved in shaping the built environment, and the embedded transport options that help people go about their daily activities, are working towards promoting healthy lifestyles.
This event is for:
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Transport and urban planners
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Population and public health professionals
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Public transport professionals
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Highways and transport engineers
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Active travel professionals
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Data and modelling experts
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Marketing and behaviour change professionals
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Directors of strategy and services
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Academics and researchers
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Community groups and campaigners
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Transport technologists
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New mobility pioneers
WALKS, SITE VISITS AND NETWORKING SOCIAL ON 7 OCTOBER –
ALL DELEGATES WELCOME
Join the Leicester City Council team for pre-event site visits offering a closer look at how Leicester is delivering its transport strategy, including:
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Cycle hubs and infrastructure
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Walking and cycling routes
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Park & Ride facilities
Tours will leave at 15.00 and 17.00 - please meet in front of Leicester City Hall 10 mins before departure time.
Departing from and returning to City Hall, key waypoints will include Haymarket and St Margaret's bus stations, Leicester Railway Station and Town Hall Bike Park.
We will cover topics including Park and Ride, the free HOP! Inner circle shuttle, Bus stations and bus stops, accessibility and bus wayfinding in the City Centre, timetable and real time information, Bus lanes and bus gates, Cycle lanes and cycle parking, pedestrianised areas, rail and taxi.
This tour will last around 1 ½ hours, and has a walking element portion 2000m.
Maximum 20 participants.
Attendees joining these tours are also welcome to join us for a drink at the pre-event networking reception, taking place at The Rutland and Derby Arms, Leicester, from 18.00
PROGRAMME 8 oCTOBER
Please note programme is currently in development
08.45
Registration
Tea and coffee served in the exhibition area
09.45
ATTENBOROUGH HALL
OPENING PLENARY
The healthy places agenda – delivering better in a devolved – and newly different – political landscape
Session chair: Margaret Douglas, Consultant in Public Health, Public Health Scotland and Co-chair, Transport Special Interest Group, Faculty of Public Health
Welcome: Sir Peter Soulsby, City Mayor, Leicester City Council
Panellists include:
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Greg Fell, President, Association of Directors of Public Health and Director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council
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Donna Nolan, Chief Executive, Watford Borough Council, and Vice Chair and Lead Executive Officer for the Healthy and Safe Places for All Mission - Hertfordshire Healthy and Safe Places Framework
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Ruth Badru, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Bristol
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Rob Howard, Director of Public Health, Leicester City Council
Followed by a panel discussion and audience Q+A
11.15
Morning break
Tea and coffee served in the exhibition area
11.45
ATTENBOROUGH HALL
BREAKOUT SESSION 1
From mode-based transport planning to place-based policymaking
Chair: William Roberts, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health
Addressing major
cross-sector challenges: identifying win-win-win solutions
Peter Jones, Professor, Centre for Transport Studies, University College London
Get Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Working Plan 2025
Peter Chandler, Director for Tourism, Culture and Economy, Leicester City Council
Developing a Regional Health and Transport Framework for the West Midlands
Nancy Towers, Senior Policy Officer, West Midlands Combined Authority and Helen Davies, Principal Policy and Strategy Officer, Transport for West Midlands
People before projects:
a new approach to Integrated Transport
Oli Davey, Co-Founder + Projects Director, Urban Movement
Case study: innovative data-led approach drives regional and
local solutions
Sathish Sethuraman, Active Travel and Transport Manager, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Mark Hand, Director, Mobilityways
Followed by panel discussion and audience Q+A
G.01 AND G.02
BREAKOUT SESSION 2
Reducing health and transport inequalities
Chair: Sarah Jane Fox, lecturer, Leicester Law School
Low cost and high impact steps to boost active travel for all
Eleanor Roaf, Chair of the Climate Change Committee, Faculty of Public Health
Transport justice in Bristol: evidence for equitable mobility policy
Ruth Badru, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Bristol
Disability: impacts for transport policy
Jenny MIndell, Emerita Professor of Public Health, University College London
What movement
reveals about health and inequality: Suffolk case study
Dorian Isaacson, CEO, Rhevia
Making change possible: what we’ve learned
Amanda Pearce, Director, Diva Creative
Followed by panel discussion and audience Q+A
G.04
BREAKOUT SESSION 3
Rethinking NHS &
SEND Transport: from fragmented services to integrated, digital mobility
Lead: Ronnie Adams, Commercial Director, Meta Procurement
Ask the Experts session
Discussion around the framework agreement that NHS England and associated Trusts use to procure digital ride hailing services, including:
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The framework history
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Why NHS trusts are using it
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Questions from the trusts and feedback
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The outcomes the framework has delivered
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Digital innovation in health and SEND transport: exploring how technology and digitisation can improve non-emergency patient transport, SEND journeys and accessibility
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Improving passenger experience and quality of life
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Supporting carers and families through journey visibility and tracking
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Future regulatory frameworks
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Integration with NHS systems and services
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Data, efficiency and operational outcomes
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NHS case studies and practical delivery examples
Followed by panel discussion and audience Q+A
Panellists include:
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Adrian Ulisse, Head
of International Partnerships, Uber Health & Transit
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Rosanna Montanaro, NEPTS Business Lead, Barts Health NHS Trust
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Maria Coulson, Strategic SEND Transport Lead, Social Care and Education, Leicester City Council
11.45
WALK & TALK - LEICESTER CITY CENTRE
Guided ‘Walk and Talk’ of Leicester City Centre, showcasing its highly-rated active travel and integrated public transport networks, with speakers showcasing initiatives to support health and wellbeing through boosting activity levels, improving air quality and climate adaption schemes.
Led. by Jo Aitken, Transport Service Manager - Major Transport Projects, Leicester City Council. Edd Quick, Leicester City Council Public Health Project Manager, will be accompanying Jo to talk about the health impact of the work going on in the city to encourage active and sustainable travel.
Limited to 20 delegates. Sign-up sheets will be provided at the reception desk and places will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis.
13.15
Lunch break
Refreshments served in the exhibition area
14.15
ATTENBOROUGH HALL
BREAKOUT SESSION 4
Spatial planning, health, and transport
Led by: Michael Chang, Associate Town Planner (Healthy Planning Lead), NHS Property Services and Visiting Professor, University of the West of England WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments
Spatial planning is a power level available to strategic and local authorities to implement meaningful improvements to population health and wellbeing. Improvements such as reliable transport links, active travel, connected neighbourhoods and public realm are some of the features that are modifiable through sustainable development and placemaking practices.
The panel will be led by: Michael Chang for a facilitated discussion and interaction with the audience on how we optimise existing windows of opportunity to deliver meaningful change and turn knowledge into action.
Panellists include:
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Martin Key, Head of Strategy at Active Travel England
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Jon Sandford, Senior Manager, MasterPlanning Design and Development, Homes England
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Nick Evans, Director of Planning & Active Environments, Sport England
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Sophie Noon, Leicester Place Partnership, Leicester City Council
Followed by panel discussion and audience Q+A
G.01 AND G.02
BREAKOUT SESSION 5
Health, environment and climate resilience
Chair: Eleanor Roaf, Chair of the Climate Change Committee, Faculty of Public Health
About the National Emergency Briefing: filmed introduction to the campaign, focused on climate and health impacts - and call to action locally
Modelling health and climate resilience: Manchester case study impacts and outcomes
James Woodcock, Professor of Public
Health and Simulation, Loughborough University
Considering the impact of:
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Climate on health outcomes
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Interventions - greening and safer streets
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Flooding and extreme weather events
Understanding urban warming, human health, and climate change impacts
Mike Perry, researcher and simulation scientist, National Centre for Earth Observation, and Charlotte Paton, researcher, University of Leicester
Personal air pollution exposure during morning commute car and active transport journeys
Rikesh Panchal, Post Doctoral Research Associate in air quality at University of Leicester
Followed by panel discussion and audience Q+A
G.04
BREAKOUT SESSION 6
The future of SEND, social care & health transport: what’s changing and what we’re learning
Ask the Experts session
Lead: Jennie Lucas, founder, Kytes Consultancy
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Shared transport services across health, social care and SEND – Total Transport revisited
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Flexibility and convenience: Personal Travel Budgets, digital voucher schemes, Independent Travel Training
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Focus on safeguarding, standards, digital safeguarding (regulation, safety and accountability within vulnerable passenger transport)
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Public trust, accessibility
and passenger confidence -
Perspectives from operators, local authorities, carers and service users
Followed by panel discussion and audience Q+A
Panellists include:
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Adrian Ulisse, Head
of International Partnerships, Uber Health & Transit
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Rochelle Roberts, Travel assistance
and independent travel coordinator, Richmond and Wandsworth Councils
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Maria Coulson, Strategic SEND Transport Lead, Social Care and Education, Leicester City Council
14.15
WALK & TALK - LEICESTER CITY CENTRE
Guided ‘Walk and Talk’ of Leicester City Centre, showcasing its highly-rated active travel and integrated public transport networks, with speakers showcasing initiatives to support health and wellbeing through boosting activity levels, improving air quality and climate adaption schemes.
Led. by Jo Aitken, Transport Service Manager - Major Transport Projects, Leicester City Council. Edd Quick, Leicester City Council Public Health Project Manager, will be accompanying Jo to talk about the health impact of the work going on in the city to encourage active and sustainable travel.
Limited to 20 delegates. Sign-up sheets will be provided at the reception desk and places will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis.
15.30
Afternoon break
Tea and coffee served in the exhibition area
16.00
ATTENBOROUGH HALL
CLOSING PLENARY
Do we all want people and places to be healthier? And if not, why not?
Who, if anyone, is against healthier people and places? Are corporate interests harming health and wellbeing in the interests of profit? Do elected leaders understand what's in the public's best interests - and are they responsive enough? How far should transport policy be expected to deliver health outcomes, how should those outcomes should be valued, and who should pay for interventions – whose benefits often accrue to the NHS or wider society rather than the transport budget?
Chair: Eleanor Lyons, Co-Chair, Faculty of Public Health Transport Special Interest Group and the Transport and Health Science Group
Speakers include:
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Grant Ennis, author, Dark PR: How Corporate Disinformation Harms Our Health and the Environment
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Greg Fell, President, Association of Directors of Public Health and Director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council
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Jenny MIndell, Trustee, Transport and Health Science Group
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Peter Jones, Professor, Centre for Transport Studies, University College London
17.00
Event close
SPEAKERS
Confirmed speakers will appear here
Sir Peter Soulsby
City Mayor
Leicester City Council
Jenny Mindell
Emerita Professor of Public Health
University College London
William Roberts
Chief Executive
Royal Society of Public Health
Martin Key
Head of Strategy
Active Travel England
Michael Chang
Associate Town Planner (Healthy Planning Lead)
NHS Property Services
James Woodcock
Professor of Public Health and Simulation
Loughborough University
Jon Sandford
Senior Manager,
MasterPlanning
Design and Development
Homes England
Ronnie Adams
Commercial Director
Meta Procurement
Helen Davies
Principal Policy and Strategy Officer
Transport for West Midlands
Jo Aitken
Transport Service Manager - Major Transport Projects
Leicester City Council
Mark Hand
Director
Mobilityways
Maria Coulson
Strategic SEND Transport Lead, Social Care and Education
Leicester City Council
Greg Fell OBE
President, Association of Directors of Public Health and Director of Public Health
Sheffield City Council
Ruth Badru
Associate Professor in Economics
University of Bristol
Eleanor Lyons
Co-Chair, Faculty of Public Health Transport Special Interest Group
Transport and Health Science Group
Eleanor Roaf
Chair, Climate Change Committee
Faculty of Public Health
Rob Howard
Director of Public Health
Leicester City Council
Peter Jones
Professor of Transport and Sustainable Development
University College London
Adrian Ulisse
Head of International Partnerships
Uber Health & Transit
Peter Chandler
Director for Tourism, Culture and Economy
Leicester City Council
Amanda Pearce
Director
Diva Creative
Rikesh Panchal
Post Doctoral Research Associate in air quality
University of Leicester
Rosanna Montanaro
NEPTS Business Lead
Barts Health NHS Trust
Donna Nolan
Chief Executive and lead Executive Officer for the Healthy and Safe Places for All Mission - Hertfordshire Healthy and Safe Places Framework
Watford Borough Council
Grant Ennis
Author, Dark PR:
How Corporate Disinformation Harms Our Health and the Environment
Monash University
Margaret Douglas
Consultant in Public Health
Public Health Scotland
Dorian Isaacson
CEO
Rhevia
Nancy Towers
Senior Policy Officer
West Midlands Combined Authority
Oliver Davey
Co-Founder + Projects Director
Urban Movement
Jennie Lucas
Founder
Kytes Consultancy
Nick Evans
Director of Planning & Active Environment
Sport England
Sophie Noon
Leicester Place Partnership
Leicester City Council
Sathish Sethuraman
Active Travel and Transport Manager
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Rochelle Roberts
Travel assistanceand independent travel coordinator
Richmond and Wandsworth Councils
EVENT SUPPORTERS
The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) is the membership body for Directors of Public Health (DsPH) in the UK. It represents the professional views of all DsPH as the local leaders for the nation’s health.
The Association has a heritage dating back over 160 years and is a collaborative organisation, working in partnership with others to strengthen the voice for public health. It seeks to improve and protect the health of the population through collating and presenting the views of DsPH; advising on public health policy and legislation at a local, regional, national and international level; facilitating a support network for DsPH; and providing opportunities for DsPH to develop professional practice.
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is an independent health education charity dedicated to improving and protecting the public's health and wellbeing. Founded in 1856, we are the world's oldest public health organisation and have a long history of influencing change, developing skills and supporting healthier communities. Today, we work across policy, education, membership and research to strengthen the public health workforce and address the wider determinants of health. Through qualifications, training, thought leadership, partnerships and advocacy, we bring together people and organisations committed to improving health and reducing inequalities. As an independent voice for public health, we work to ensure everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy, fulfilling life.
The Faculty of Public Health is a public health association in the United Kingdom established as a registered charity. It is the standard setting body for public health specialists within the United Kingdom, setting standards for training, examination, and specialist practice across the four countries of the UK.
The Transport and Health Science Group (THSG) is an independent group of global public health and transport practitioners and researchers. It is committed to understanding and addressing the links between transport policies and health and promoting a healthy transport system.
Its aim is to identify and promote the evidence base for policy and advocacy objectives that will enable a healthier and sustainable transport system.
Membership of THSG is open to anyone interested in the effects of transport and health. See the benefits of joining THSG, and how to join here.
