The Planning (Wales) Bill: Consultation response by Leonard Cheshire Disability
2. At Leonard Cheshire Disability we work for a society in which everyone is equally valued. We believe that disabled people should have the freedom to live their lives the way they choose – with the opportunity and support to live independently, to contribute economically and to participate fully in society.
3. We are one of the UK's largest voluntary sector providers of services for disabled people with over 250 services across the UK including care homes, care homes with nursing and homecare services. We aim to maximise personal choice and independence for people with disabilities and all of our services are designed to meet the needs and priorities of the people who use them.
4. This response focuses on issues where we have a specific expertise and knowledge, both as the UK’s largest voluntary sector provider of social care services to disabled people and as a leading disability campaigning charity. As such, we have not sought to respond to all elements of the Committee’s terms of reference for its inquiry
The general principles of the Planning (Wales) Bill
5. Leonard Cheshire Disability notes and welcomes the stated aim of the Bill to deliver a planning system which would help “to deliver sustainable places that include homes, jobs and infrastructure.”[1]
6. We believe that any conceptualisation of a ‘sustainable home’ needs to incorporate it being readily-adaptable to the needs of disabled people.
Disabled-Friendly Homes
16. Ultimately, the current shortage of disabled-friendly homes is not conducive to community or individuals’ wellbeing. Nor is it in line with the aims and intentions of the ‘Framework for Action on Independent Living’ launched by the Welsh Government in September 2013.
What is the solution?
17. Building a home to disabled-friendly standards – called Lifetime Homes Standards[9] or Welsh Quality Housing Standards – involves, among other things, building it with wider doors and walls strong enough for grab-rails to be installed in case the owners need them in the future.
18. It is estimated that building homes to such standards costs an average of only £1,100[10] extra per property. Wheelchair accessible homes, specifically designed for those who use wheelchairs, cost a little more[11] but are essential to ensuring that disabled people can live comfortably and safely.
19. Building more of these homes is not only is this the right thing to do – it’s also the sustainable thing to do; it’s something that actively secures the well-being of future generations, and meet the needs of the current disabled population.
20. Adapting a property after it’s built is much more expensive and less effective. While not adapting it condemns people to the misery of Victorian strip washes, forces them to sleep in their living room rather than their bedroom, or exposes them to nasty and costly slips, trips and falls caused by lack of grab rails, hoists or stair-lifts.
21. In the worst circumstances, people like Ruby (below) lose valuable time with their disabled children due to the inaccessible of their homes. This is a disgrace, and one which needs to be addressed immediately.
Case study: Ruby Nash
Ruby lives in Barry in South Wales with her son Cody, who has the degenerative muscle condition Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Cody currently finds it difficult getting up the stairs on his own, and this will only get worse as time goes on and his illness progresses.
“There are new developments being built in Barry, but neither the council nor private developers are building enough homes to cater for families like us who need them.
“We are gold priority on the Homes 4U list (the local housing association), but there’s not a single available home in the area which is suitable.
“The life expectancy for someone living with Duchenne is only 27 years. Our precious time together shouldn’t be wasted struggling to get out of the front door, or get down the stairs, we should be able to enjoy our lives together while we can.” |
The potential value of the Planning (Wales) Bill
22. We understand that the Planning (Wales) Bill, as introduced, provides a statutory requirement for Welsh Ministers to prepare and keep up to date a national land use plan (to be known as the NDP).
23. We also understand that the intent of the Bill’s provisions is to provide a legal framework for addressing issues “such as housing demand, search areas for strategic employment sites and supporting transport infrastructure, which cut across a number of local planning authorities, to be considered and planned for in an integrated and comprehensive way.”[12]
24. We believe the Planning (Wales) Bill, therefore has the potential to provide a legal framework by which the shortage of accessible homes for disabled people across Wales can be addressed in a strategic fashion.
25. In particular, we believe that the Welsh Government should make a public commitment to using its prospective powers over planning to require:
· Every new home in Wales to be built to Lifetime Homes standards as part of the WHQS; and
· A minimum percentage (we believe this should be at least ten percent) of all new homes to be built to full wheelchair accessibility standards.
Conclusion
26. We hope our response to this consultation is helpful to the Committee in its consideration of the principles of this important legislation, and we would be very happy to provide further information as required.
27. For information, we have attached a link to our UK-wide Home Truths Campaign launched in July 2014, highlighting the very real housing crisis facing disabled people and their families.
Rhian Stangroom-Teel
Policy and
Public Affairs Officer (Wales), Leonard Cheshire Disability
Telephone: 07815601445
E-mail: rhian.stangroom-teel@leonardcheshire.org
[1] Welsh Government, Planning (Wales) Bill, Explanatory Memorandum, Paragraph 3.10
[2] Roys, M. Davidson, M. Nicol, S. Ormandy, D. and Ambrose, P. (2010) The real cost of poor housing. BRE
[3] The Living in Wales Survey 2008
[4] Source: Cabinet Office unit cost database (2011/12)
[5] Better outcomes, lower costs: Implications for health and social care budgets of investment in housing adaptations, improvements and equipment: a review of the evidence
[6] Calculation based on £1800 / £28000 – Source: Cabinet Office unit cost database (2011/12)
[8] The Office of National Statistics’ June 2014 population estimate for Wales was 3.1 million. 3.1 million / 10 = 310,000
[9] Full details available here: http://www.lifetimehomes.org.uk/data/files/For_Professionals/accessible_revisedlthstandard_final.pdf
[10] Estimates vary. The CLG Housing Standards Review Consultation Impact Assessment estimated the average cost as £1,100. A previous CLG estimate put the average cost at £547. DCLG The Future of the Code for Sustainable Homes, 2007
[11] Around £13,000 for all sizes of home, according to CLG, Housing Standards Review Consultation: Impact Assessment
[12] Welsh Government, Planning (Wales) Bill, Explanatory Memorandum, Para 3.29