Healthy city bid gathering pace

City bosses in Cumbria are hoping to prove that the health of residents is a priority when it comes to making recreation and planning decisions.

Carlisle wants to gain World Health Organisation Healthy City status and must show residents' wellbeing comes first when it comes to city policy.

Only 12 cities in Europe are awarded Healthy City status each year.

And although the status does not mean more money for the city, it is considered an honour and accolade.

Feather in cap

Health experts from Liverpool, which has held the status for the last 20 years, will be the special guests at a conference to discuss the city's application at the Sands centre on Wednesday.

Winning the status will affect how planners make decisions on creating cycle routes, green spaces and leisure facilities.

Professor John Ashton, Cumbria's Director of Public Health, will be speaking at the conference. He said: "Healthy City status is all about putting health at the centre of the decisions taken by public organisations in Carlisle.

"If Carlisle becomes one of them, it will be a tremendous feather in the cap of the entire city and acknowledgement of the excellent work already taking place to improve health and wellbeing."