Comment

Representation ID: 22434

Received: 16/03/2020

Respondent: Gladman Developments

Question 29: Accessible and Specialist Housing 6.2.1 Policy 5 relates to the provision of accessible and specialist housing to meet the needs of older people, disabled people and vulnerable people with specific housing needs. Gladman is supportive of a policy in relation to this type of housing provision.
6.2.2 The provision of specialist housing to meet the needs of older people is of increasing importance and the Councils need to ensure that this is reflected through a positive policy approach within the GNLP. The Councils need a robust understanding of the scale of this type of need across the plan area.
6.2.3 Specialist housing with care for older people is a type of housing which provides choice to adults with varying care needs and enables them to live as independently as possible in their own selfcontained homes, where people are able to access high quality, flexible support and care services on site to suit their individual needs (including dementia care). Such schemes differ from traditional sheltered/retirement accommodation schemes and should provide internally accessible communal facilities including a residents’ lounge, library, dining room, guest suite, quiet lounge, IT suite, assisted bathroom, internal buggy store and changing facilities, reception and care manager’s office and staff facilities.
6.2.4 Policy 5 also relates to the Building Regulation M4(2) ‘accessible and adaptable dwellings’ and requires that 20% of housing should be built to this standard. 6.2.5 With regards to the provision of accessible and adaptable homes, Gladman refers to the PPG which provides additional guidance on the use of these optional standards. The Councils would need to ensure that any such policy in the GNLP is in line with the guidance and that the justification and specific details of the policy take account of the various factors that the PPG refers to:
“Based on their housing needs assessment and other available dataset it will be for the local planning authority to set out how they intend to approach demonstrating the need for Requirement M4(2) (accessible and adaptable dwellings), and/or M4(3) (wheelchair user dwellings), of the Buildings Regulations. There is a wide range of published official statistics and factors which local planning authorities can consider and take into account, including:
 The likely future need for housing for older and disabled people (including wheelchair user dwellings).
 Size, location, type and quality of dwellings needed to meet specifically evidenced needs (for example retirement homes, sheltered homes or care homes).
 The accessibility and adaptability of existing housing stock.
 How needs vary across different housing tenures.
 The overall impact on viability.” (ID 56-007-20150327)
6.2.6 In order to be able to include specific requirements in relation to M4(2) and M4(3) the Councils will need to be able to robustly justify the inclusion and demonstrate that consideration has been given to these requirements within the viability study. The provision of M4(3) wheelchair user dwellings is far more onerous in terms of size requirement therefore it is crucial that the implications of any proposed policy requirement have been properly considered.
6.2.7 With regards to M4(3) Gladman refers again to the PPG which states:
“Part M of the Building Regulations sets a distinction between wheelchair accessible (a home readily useable by a wheelchair user at the point of completion) and wheelchair adaptable (a home that can be easily adapted to meet the needs of a household including wheelchair users) dwellings.
Local Plan policies for wheelchair accessible homes should be applied only to those dwellings where the local authority is responsible for allocating or nominating a person to live in that dwelling.” (ID 56-009020150327)