By Tom Dowling

Here’s your chance to have a say about accessible housing in Liverpool. The city council are inviting residents, developers, building professionals and community organisations to take part in a consultation about its new Housing Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SDP).

Cllr Nick Small, cabinet member for growth and economy, said: “This guide is about setting a clear standard for the homes we build in Liverpool – homes that are not only well-designed and sustainable, but that truly support the health and wellbeing of our residents. We want to hear from as many people as possible across the city to make sure this guide reflects the needs and aspirations of our communities.”

The draft SPD and supporting documents are available to view online at www.liverpool.gov.uk/housingdesignguideconsultation. It is also available at Liverpool Central Library.

Feedback can be submitted directly to planning.engagement@liverpool.gov.uk or by post to the Planning Policy Team, Cunard Building, Liverpool. The consultation is open until Thursday, December 4.

Campaigners with spinal cord injuries called on the Government to pledge 150,000 wheelchair-accessible homes, which are currently not part of their promise to build 1.5million homes by 2029. Demanding a legal right to accessible housing for all, the Spinal Injuries Association say without nationally mandated standards, accessibility depends on your postcode and that’s simply not good enough.

Last year, the government announced their plans to build 370,000 new homes a year. But wheelchair-accessible homes are not part of the plan, with the decision being left to local authorities.

While adaptable homes have been set as the standard for new homes, it would require further time, money, and adaptations to make them suitable for wheelchair users.

An SIA spokesperson said: “With 400,000 wheelchair users currently living in unsuitable homes, and long waiting lists, the need for fully adapted housing is urgent. A home is the foundation of our lives, and we all should be able to live in a home that benefits our health and wellbeing.”

If you use a wheelchair, you’ll know how difficult it is to find housing that suit your needs. The situation for people living in the North West is among the worse in the country, say accessible housing experts Habinteg Housing Association.

Just one new wheelchair user home is being planned for every 2,006 people in the next decade compared with one for every 210 Londoners. Four in 10 of all new homes will not be built to the M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard or the M4(3) wheelchair user standard.

Fiona Howie, Chief Executive of the Town and Country Planning Association, said: “It’s astonishing than two fifths of new homes will not meet the basic accessibility requirements – especially with our ageing population. There’s a wealth of guidance and good schemes that demonstrate how to meet those standards, and produce beautiful, inclusive and healthy homes.”

There is some good news. If the country builds all the new homes currently planned, Habinteg calculates that 1.39 million more accessible and adaptable homes could be built by the end of the decade, which is a rise of 163% from 2020 when the forecast stood at 530,504.

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