Joan Rutherford: Accessible housing may be what the market wants… but what about government? | #ForAccessibleHomes News

Joan Rutherford is a qualified Town Planner (now retired) with 60 years’ experience in most aspects of Planning work. From the late 1990’s she managed Manchester City Council’s Access Team for eight years and developed an interest in building an accessible environment. Joan is Chair of the national network of Older People’s Housing Champions , a member of the Housing & Ageing Alliance, Treasurer of High Peak Access and a member of the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, Greater Manchester Older People’s Network and Manchester Disabled People’s Access Group.  This blog reflects Joan’s experience - as a Planner - of campaigning in support of M4(2) accessible and adaptable dwellings and M4(3)wheelchair user dwellings in Greater Manchester.

Whilst a practising Planner in Manchester in the 1990s, I recall dealing with an application from a major housing developer and suggesting that they might consider providing some wheelchair-accessible homes. The shocking response was: “There won’t be any wheelchair- users living here.” 

I acted. I ensured our (wheelchair-using) Access Officer was included in subsequent meetings with all housing developers and never had the same response again.

Though it’s accepted that more than 80% of the homes we will be living in in 2050 are already built, and that adaptations will be needed to existing stock to make it more accessible, this isn’t an area in which Planners are generally involved. But they should be.

I’m #ForAccessibleHomes

Along with the Chair of Manchester Disabled People’s Access Group I gave evidence at the Places for Everyone Hearing (watch from 4.32.34 – 5.11.32) in 2022 on behalf of the Older People’s Housing Champions,Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People, Greater Manchester Disabled People’s Panel and the Greater Manchester Older People’s Network. 

We supported the inclusion of the M4(2) accessible and adaptable dwellings policy, and insisted that it should remain a policy in Greater Manchester’s strategic plan, even though the then Conservative government had announced that it intended to make M4(2) the national baseline for new housing . 

We agreed that the requirement for M4(3) wheelchair user housing was for the Greater Manchester local authorities to determine in their local plans but argued that Places for Everyone should encourage the 10 local authorities to develop such a policy.

Surprisingly, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Planners stated that the requirement for housing for wheelchair-users would be met “from the social account.”  I and the Chair of Manchester Disabled People’s Access Group contended that wheelchair-accessible private housing was also needed.

Places for Everyone was eventually approved with a requirement for all new housing to be built to the M4(2) standard. But there was no reference to wheelchair-accessible housing.

Working towards wheelchair user housing

To that end, the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People Housing Group (of which I’m a member) is now working with Greater Manchester Planners to encourage the inclusion of M4(3) policies in the Greater Manchester local plans.

With assistance from Habinteg, we’ve produced a guidance note that outlines the issues.  We’ve suggested that the local authorities opt for 10% of new housing (both social and private) to be wheelchair-accessible, as in the London and Liverpool local plans.  This is also an ambition of the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People.

And we will continue to encourage Greater Manchester’s Planners to include M4(3) policies in the local plans for the 10 authorities.

Two steps forward, one step back

It sometimes seems to be a case of two steps forward and one step back for those of us campaigning for accessible housing.

The Labour government proposes to build 1.5 million new homes, but despite vigorous campaigning by Habinteg, the Housing & Ageing Alliance, the Older People’s Housing Champions and others, and recommendations made by the Older People’s Housing Task Force , there has been no mention of these homes being built to any accessible standard.

Like everyone in this field, I await publication of the Government’s Housing Strategy and what it will say about the M4(2) and M4(3) regulations. The most optimistic words I’ve heard recently - by a major Manchester housing developer - is that accessible housing is “what the market wants,” as people recognise that the future can be uncertain and want the reassurance of a home that gives them flexibility.

Hopefully, there will soon come a day when no Planner will be confronted by a housing developer who says, “there won’t be any wheelchair-users living here.” However, Planners cannot be knowledgeable advocates if they aren’t taught about access and inclusive design.

There seems to be a perception that Planning students can pick up accessible design principles as they go along. I’ve mentored students from two universities because their tutors didn’t have this expertise.

This, despite there being a mountain of guidance - including the Building Regulations and British Standards - and despite the facts that one in five of our population self-define as being disabled, we’re an ageing population, and accessibility requirements (such as designing for diversity) are constantly evolving.

We can do better, and we must do it now.

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More from Joan Rutherford
Inclusive design – why is it so hard?
Wheelchair accessible housing – it’s a lottery