North West’s local plans propose lowest number of wheelchair user homes in England | Latest news

Wheelchair users in the North West fare worst in the search for a home with one new wheelchair user home being planned for every 2,006 people in the region in the next decade, new research reveals.

Habinteg Housing Association’s report,  A forecast for accessible homes 2025 , reveals that nationally there’s an average of one new wheelchair user home per 538 people planned in the next decade.

It also shows that the ambition in the North West for delivery of accessible and adaptable homes, labelled ‘M4(2)’ homes in Building Regulations, is one per 53 people – that’s lower than the national average of one per 41 people nationwide.

The approved plan for Greater Manchester, known as  Places for Everyone, requires all new housing to be  M4(2) standard , which should help redress this imbalance. This plan was officially adopted by nine of the ten authorities that make up the Greater Manchester Combined Authority as of March 2024.

Lack of adequate planning

However, this will do nothing to improve the provision of homes designed to meet the needs of wheelchair users (known as ‘M4(3)’ in Building Regulations). The approved plan has no policy that requires any M4(3) wheelchair user properties, according to Habinteg’s research.

Currently, there are 27,894 adults and 3,654 children who are wheelchair users in Greater Manchester, according to the latest  National Wheelchair Data Collection statistics  published by NHS England.

Despite this, in the adopted local plans for the ten authorities that make up Greater Manchester, currently, in 2025, there are no policies requiring house builders to provide any wheelchair user homes.

Disability rights advocate and founder of All4Inclusion,  Scott Whitney, a wheelchair user, has been searching for accessible social housing in Manchester for two and a half years.

He said: “I’ve only been to see one bungalow that’s been deemed accessible to me, but it had a lack of moving space for my wheelchair in the bathroom and bedroom, as well as steps leading to the back garden.

“I live in an inaccessible home, and it makes daily things such as showering more challenging to do and poses a risk to my safety. I suffer with nocturnal seizures and spasms, and these get worse with lack of sleep and added stress.

Disabled people at risk

“It’s shocking to hear that Manchester still has no policies for wheelchair user homes. I’ve been trying to get it through to my local MP that there needs to be more commitment to building accessible housing. As people are living longer, there are more people who are disabled or less mobile. But not enough accessible social housing is being built and it’s not good for future generations, let alone my generation.”

Reflecting on Habinteg’s Forecast, Joan Rutherford, a retired Town Planner and member of Manchester Disabled People’s Access Group said: “I’m part of the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People’s Housing Group which is now working to encourage the inclusion of policies for new wheelchair user homes within the Greater Manchester local plans.

“Without the intervention of planning requirements, wheelchair user homes are only being created at the discretion of developers, local authorities or by households making their own home adaptations, either self-funded or through the Disabled Facilities Grant. We can do better, and we must do it now,” Ms. Rutherford said.

Benefits of accessible housing

Habinteg’s Director of Social Impact and External Affairs, Christina McGill, said: “At Habinteg we firmly believe that all new homes should be accessible and adaptable by default which will help to meet the needs of older and disabled people. So, we’re pleased to see that the Places for Everybody plan requires this in Greater Manchester.

“However, it is extremely disappointing to see so little consideration for the housing needs of wheelchair users reflected in North West  plans as a whole. Ensuring sufficient numbers of wheelchair accessible properties not only benefits individual households but has a positive impact on public funds as it relieves pressure on social care and health services and makes it more likely for people to be in work.

With local plans on a five-year review cycle, each authority has an opportunity to set out how it will meet the needs of its population, including wheelchair users. We’re glad to see Stockport’s recently published draft Local Plan propose that 10% of new homes should be wheelchair dwelling standard and we hope to see more such policies in the  North   West  region in new plans as they come forward.”