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National Planning Policy Guidance defines a healthy place as “one which supports and promotes healthy behaviours and environments” and provides “the community with opportunities to improve their physical and mental health, and support community engagement and wellbeing”.
Locally, Medway Council is working on making Medway a Marmot Place to create a community where everyone can live longer and healthier lives. Part of this work is focused on tackling the root causes of health inequalities, recognising how the physical environment has an influence on health and wellbeing.
As part of our ongoing place-based engagement, Healthwatch Medway spoke to 41 residents living in Strood in May 2026, to understand how their local environment affects their health and wellbeing.
Just over 1 in 2 (54%) residents we spoke to mentioned their environment. Of those, around 2 in 5 (38%) raised concerns about the upkeep and appearance of the local environment, with comments referencing the town centre feeling rundown and dirty, overgrown weeds and trees and general maintenance issues.
“There used to be flower boxes everywhere, next to the road when you drove in. It was cleaner.”
“The amount of foliage hanging over the roads and paths make it difficult to navigate, they need to be cut back.”
1 in 4 (25%) residents we spoke to mentioned the positive of Strood having amenities in walking distance, and their ability to take walks in local green spaces.
“It is nice to have big green spaces to get out and have a walk in like the park. I think green spaces are important for your mental health.”
“It’s quite convenient for me, because I walk. I have osteo-arthritis, and I catch a bus, and I walk a little to the town. It’s good to keep walking.”
This aligns with national data exploring residents’ pride in their local area. The Community Life Survey 2024/25 found that 2 in 3 (63%) adults referenced the presence of green spaces as a reason they are proud to live in their local area. 60% said that the local area being run down was a reason they are not proud of where they live.
However, studies have observed further benefits of neighbourhoods that are walkable and well-maintained. A recent study found that outdoor spaces and neighbourhood walkability contributes to ‘activity-friendly’ places, and those living in ‘activity-friendly’ neighbourhoods did 48-89 more minutes of physical activity than those who did not, positively contributing to both their mental and physical health.
Other research has found that well maintained and clean communities experience lower levels of crime. This is linked to ‘broken window theory’, which suggests that environments that are run down or appear not to be well maintained promote crime due to a perceived lack of social control. In Strood, alongside comments on the environment, 1 in 5 (20%) residents also raised concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour.
There are positive steps being taken in Medway to address some of these issues. Strood has recently been awarded £20 million funding through the government’s Pride in Place programme, which aims to support positive change in neighbourhoods and communities. Priorities for spending the funding will be shaped by residents and other members of neighbourhood boards. Our findings suggest this investment is timely and necessary, with the potential to improve the environment and positively impact the health and wellbeing of people living in Strood.
Bias and limitations
Residents we spoke to were those who were available and willing to speak to us at the time and location of each engagement event. Therefore, the sample is not representative of the Strood population. These findings should be interpreted as indicative trends rather than conclusive evidence.
