For information the Pocklington Trust is just embarking on some research
around the lighting needs of people with visual impairments in their own
homes. This is just starting up so don’t inundate them with
questions/queries. I am currently putting together my views on the way to
influence the process and would welcome any good examples and suggestions of
future legislative and regulatory changes.
Regards Jane
Jane Simpson
T: 01484 413000
M: 07777607239
www.janesimpsonaccess.com
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-----Original Message-----
From: Accessibuilt list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Flick Harris
Sent: 25 February 2008 11:31
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Accessible housing standards and monitoring availability
We also think in Manchester that it is the intention to include it
into future Part M Building Regs.
We are very aware of the Lifetimes Homes concept in Manchester but
are very unhappy with the vague standards and lack of clear
specifications and from some informal research I did before giving a
talk last year to a, occupational therapists' group, found that most
of the organisations promoting Lifetime Homes get calls from
developers trying to avoid them, and usually only implementing some
of them, as they are not specific enough.
Our Design for Access 2 manual (policy not just guidance for the City
Council) has more specific specifications for housing included. These
are currently being used in all (or some) of the PFI and Housing
Market Renewal projects in Manchester and the developers don't seem
to have any problems with them. The residents are delighted with the
better space!
We raised these issues at a meeting during the Labour Party
conference when it was in Manchester but CABE and the other people
there weren't very interested.
I recommend that anyone interested has a look at our standards online at
http://www.mdpag.org.uk/pubs.htm
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=2000
41&documentID=106&pageNumber=7
BTW, the City Council have recently changed their website and it now
doesn't have alternative formats on the website, but if you contact
the Planning Department, anyone who wants a Braille or large print
version or on CD, please contact them directly.
We would be interested in any comments also from anyone as we are
currently reviewing the standards which were published a few years
ago now (but still useful!)
There is another housing issue we have raised recently with the EHRC,
the NW Regional Assembly and regularly with MCC which is that no-one
is recording or montitoring how many accessible houses, flats etc are
available around Manchester. This is even more difficult now that the
housing stock has been transferred into housing trusts and at least
one trust had a policy of only allocating accessible houses to people
over 50 - not much good if you're a young disabled parent! There is
no information about the private sector at all although other
elements such as price etc are being monitored closely. We would be
interested in knowing if anyone else knows of any procedure dealing
with this in their area.
Best wishes
Flick
At 10:49 25/02/2008, you wrote:
>The Lifetime Homes concept has been around for quite a while now, and
>I'm wondering if the government has been watching it's progress as part
>of the 'London Plan', using as it does a percentage system whereby new
>homes are built as 100% lifetime homes compliant with 10% of these being
>wheelchair accessible.
>
>I've been trying to build it into policy here for some years now, and
>the general concensus is that if it is enforced through Building
>Regulations it would be more effective than putting it into housing
>policies.
>
>I'm all too aware of the building industry not wanting the 16 points
>built into home and I would be concerned about the plaintive:
>
>"All new social housing built from 2011 will have to be built to the new
>"lifetime homes" standard, and the hope is that private sector houses
>will also meet it." (BBC's website)
>
>It is also disappointing that it is mentioned only in regards to elderly
>people, when we all know the benefit that such building criteria would
>extend to others. Essentially the building industry do not want us to
>stay put in one house, they want us to move around buying new housing as
>our needs change.
>
>I do believe the way forward would be to enhance the Building
>Regulations in order to incorporate the 16 points of the Lifetime Homes
>concept. If it is the regulatory way housing is built then there are
>fewer loopholes or exemptions.
>
>Rob
>
>_______________________________________________
>Rob Bracewell BA (Hons)
>Access Officer,
>Forward Planning Team,
>Planning Services,
>Lancaster City Council,
>Palatine Hall,
>Dalton Square,
>Lancaster,
>LA1 1PW
>Tel. & Minicom. 01524 582372 (please use announcer)
>Mob. 07820736997
>Fax. 01524 582322
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Accessibuilt list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
>Of Brian Towers
>Sent: 25 February 2008 10:32
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [ACCESSIBUILT] Age friendly housing
>
>Marcus
>
>It appears to be a slight extension of the Part M stuff.
>
>Level entrances, wheelchair turning space, ground floor WC, wider stair
>to take a stair lift! Hopefully, larger bathrooms and WCs.
>
>I'll see what else there is.
>
>
>Brian
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Accessibuilt list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
>Of Marcus Ormerod
>Sent: 25 February 2008 09:53
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Age friendly housing
>
>Hi everyone
>
>there seems to be a news article this morning about UK government
>suggesting we should have age-friendly housing - apart from this being a
>deja vu experience does anyone know any detail about what legislation or
>regulation there are actually proposing. Or is this just the government
>trying to deflect the media spotlight off them?
>
>The BBC news item is at the link below:
>
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7260000/newsid_7262100/7262120.s
>tm?b
>w=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1
>
>Professor Marcus Ormerod
>SURFACE Inclusive Design Research Centre SOBE, The University of Salford
>4th Floor Maxwell Building Salford
>M5 4WT
>Tel (0)161 295 5405
>Fax (0)161 295 5011
>Mobile 07887 556425
>www.surface.salford.ac.uk
>
>----------End of Message----------
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>distance taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme
>visit:
>http://www.surface.salford.ac.uk
>Archives for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at
>http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html
>
>----------End of Message----------
>Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the
>distance taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme
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>
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Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the
distance taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme visit:
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----------End of Message----------
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