Lifetime Homes Requirement

Overview

'Lifetime Homes' is a set of principles developed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that have been adopted into current building regulations. The principles focus on enhanced accessibility and design features that make the home flexible enough to meet whatever comes along in life, for example disability. The goal is for properties to always be able to meet the needs of inhabitants.

In the 1980s, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation became particularly concerned about the quality of British housing. Concerns centred on how inaccessible and inconvenient many houses were for large segments of the population - from those with young children through to frail older people and those with temporary or permanent disabilities.

In 1991 the Lifetime Homes concept was developed by a group of housing experts who came together as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Lifetime Homes Group. Lifetime Homes have sixteen design features (listed below) that ensure a new house or flat will meet the needs of most households. The focus is on accessibility and design features that make the home flexible enough to meet whatever comes along in life: a teenager with a broken leg, a family member with serious illness, or parents carrying in heavy shopping and dealing with a pushchair.

In the mid 1990s the Government indicated its wish to extend Part M of the building regulations, which deals with accessibility, to cover houses as well as public buildings. After a long period of consultation in which the Foundation was very actively involved, new regulations come into force for all housing built after October 1999.

Research suggested that not only will the occupiers of homes benefit from Lifetime Homes, but so too will tax payers due to reduced expenditure on adaptations and reduced need to move people to residential care. There would be further savings in health care and re-housing costs. 

Lifetime Homes include a number of attractive features that will differentiate them from the existing housing stock. These will provide the people who live in them with many advantages, and will give private builders of new homes a marketing edge in relation to the second-hand stock with which they compete.

 Primary Requirements

1.  Communal Stairs

Communal stairs to provide easy access and, where homes are reached by a lift, it should be fully accessible.

2.  Doorways and Hallways

The width of internal doorways and hallways to conform to Part M, except that when the approach is not head on and the hallway width is 900mm, the clear opening width should be 900mm rather than 800mm. There should be 300mm nib or wall space to the side of the leading edge of the doors on the entrance level.

3.  Wheel chair Accessibility

There will be space for turning a wheelchair in dinning areas and living rooms, via a 1500mm turning circle and adequate circulation space for wheelchairs elsewhere.

4.  Living Room

The living room will be at entrance level.

5.  Two or more storey requirements

In houses of two or more storeys, there will be space on the entrance level that could be used as a convenient bed space.

6.  WC

In houses with three bedrooms or more there will be a wheelchair accessible toilet (1500 x 2200mm) at entrance level with drainage provision enabling a shower to be fitted in the future. In houses with two bedrooms the downstairs toilet will conform at least to Part M.

7.  Bathroom and WC walls

Walls in the bathroom and WC will be capable of taking adaptations such as handrails.

8.  Life Capability

The design will incorporate provision for a future stair lift and a suitably identified space for a through the floor lift from the ground floor to the first floor, for example to a bedroom next to the bathroom.

9.  Main bedrooms

The design and specification will provide a reasonable rate for a potential hoist from a main bedroom to the bathroom.

10.  Bathroom Layout

The bathroom will be designed for ease of access to the bath, WC and wash basin.

11.  Window Specification

Living room window glazing will begin no higher than 800mm from the floor level and windows should be easy to open/operate, subject to planning constraints and building regulations.

12.  Fixtures and Fittings

Switches, sockets, ventilation and service controls will be at a height usable by all (i.e. between 450 and 1200mm from the floor).

Secondary Requirements

13.  Car Parking

Where car parking is adjacent to the home, it should be capable of enlargement to attain 3.3m width.

14.  Access from Car Parking

The distance from the car parking space to the home be kept to a minimum and be level or gently sloping.

15.  Approach

The approach to all entrances will be level or gently sloping.

16.  External Entrances

All entrances will be illuminated, have level access over the thresholds and have a covered main entrance.

These requirements are based on Habinteg H.A's standards in conjunction with Swale Borough Council's Access Officer.