Healthy environments
What do we do?
The Healthy Environments team at Tower Hamlets Council is dedicated to creating local places that support better health and wellbeing for everyone. We know that health is about more than visiting a doctor - it’s shaped by the neighbourhoods we live in, the quality of our air and housing, access to green space, and the food we can buy close to home.
In Tower Hamlets, some areas make it easier to live healthily than others. That’s why we’re working to reduce these inequalities by improving public spaces, supporting cleaner air, making it safer and easier to walk or cycle, and helping local shops offer healthier food options. Our programmes aim to change the way our communities feel and function - making everyday environments healthier, more active, and more connected.
Our goal is to ensure that wherever you live in Tower Hamlets, the places around you help - not hinder - your ability to live a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life
Why is this important?
Many things in our daily lives affect our health – from the homes we live in, to the food we eat, the jobs we do, and how safe we feel. In Tower Hamlets, we face some specific challenges:
- Poverty and financial stress can harm both physical and mental health. In 2022, 39% of households in Tower Hamlets were living in poverty – the highest rate of any London borough.
- Work and employment play a key role in our health. Tower Hamlets has the 5th highest unemployment rate in London, which can increase stress and reduce access to healthy living.
- Access to healthy food is essential for wellbeing. Insecure access to food affects diet quality and health. 48% of children in Tower Hamlets live in poverty (2021/22), making healthy food harder to afford for many families.
- The home environment matters for staying well. Overcrowded homes can impact recovery and increase health problems. Tower Hamlets has a higher rate of overcrowded housing than both the London and England averages.
- Being active helps prevent illness and improves wellbeing. In 22/23, 26% of adults in Tower Hamlets were physically inactive.
- Air pollution is one of the biggest threats to long-term health, affecting people of all ages. In 2022, Tower Hamlets ranked third among all London boroughs for the highest average proportion of deaths attributed to particulate air pollution.
- Feeling safe is important for mental and physical health. In 2022–23, 35,249 crimes were reported in Tower Hamlets—a 2.3% increase from the previous year.
What makes us healthy?
Health is about more than avoiding illness - it's about having the opportunity to live well.
We believe everyone deserves access to the things that help us thrive. That’s the vision behind our work.