Ministers to hike accessibility standard for new homes

New homes will be required to have step-free access to all entrance level rooms under beefed up standards for accessible homes, the government has announced.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will change building regulations to strengthen rules around the accessibility features new homes must have.

经征求意见后，德鲁安国际中心表示，将对所有新建住宅强制执行现有的“可选”M4第2类要求。

这一要求要求住宅具备无障碍通道和其他功能，以使其易于调整，目前仅在规划者将其作为条件提出要求时才适用。新规定将取代目前强制性的“第一类”标准，后者是一种较低的标准，确保房产能够供包括轮椅使用者在内的各种人群参观。

DLUHC said 98% of around 400 responses to the consultation were in favour of the change.

Eddie Hughes, minister for rough sleeping and housing, said: ”Older and disabled people must have homes which are suitable for their needs, and allow them to live comfortably and independently.

”This consultation has made clear raising the accessibility standard of new homes is supported not just by people who use accessible homes, but by industry and wider stakeholders as well. With that mandate, we are forging ahead with the next steps to make this a reality.”

无障碍住房专家住房协会Habinteg的社会影响和外部事务主任克里斯蒂娜·麦吉尔(Christina McGill)称这一改革提议是一场“胜利”。

McGill said: “It’s encouraging to see this announcement after seven years of campaigning. Raising the mandatory access standard will remove many of the barriers currently limiting the number of accessible and adaptable homes being built and help deliver great quality inclusive housing that suits a wide range of people.”

McGill added that local authorities should “start thinking about how they will be able to use freed up resources to plan for sufficient wheelchair standard housing.”

However a Habinteg spokesperson said the association regretted that the government does not plan to bring in a national requirement for a minimum proportion of homes to be built to a wheelchair accessible standard.

A second consultation will now be carried out on the detail of the changes and on the circumstances where exceptions to the rule should apply.