talkclacton.myfastforum.org

ivan burit

Builders told to make new homes age friendly

The 16 features required under the "lifetime homes" standard are:

• Bathroom to allow side access to bath and toilet

• Space for a stair-lift.

• Space for a platform lift to the bedroom

• Low window sills

• Walls able to take adaptions

• Space for temporary entrance-level bed

• Living room at entrance level

• Distance from car park kept to minimum

• Easy route for a hoist from bedroom to bathroom

• Sockets and controls at convenient height

• Entrance-level toilet

• Doors and hall wide enough for a wheelchair

• Space for wheelchair turning circle in the living room

• Threshold to home covered and lit

• Parking space capable of being widened

• Level or gently-sloping approach to front door

OK, we have not come to this yet, but, if this becomes Law, in Tendring we have more age populist than most other areas, it is now being thought about, rather than just talked about..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politic...eb/25/housing.housinginretirement

All new homes will be expected to be wheelchair-friendly by 2013, the government said today.

Hazel Blears, the communities secretary, and Caroline Flint, the housing minister, published a list of 16 features that will be required for new houses to meet the "lifetime homes" standard, meaning they could be easily adapted for a wheelchair user.

The standards include having a ground-floor toilet, wide stairways that could be adapted to take a stair-lift, and a level or gently-sloping approach to the front door.

All new social housing will have to be built to the "lifetime homes" standards by 2011.

In 2010 the government will review how much progress the private sector is making in adopting the standards, with a view to using regulation to make the standards compulsory if housebuilders are not complying voluntarily

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