Where you are:

Housing LIN > Resources > Resource Library > Draft London Plan

Draft London Plan

Draft London Plan thumbnail 200

The GLA have outlined the draft vision for London’s homes, healthy places and infrastructure. It includes vital sections on ensuring mainstream and specialist housing choice for those with accessibility requirements is available in meeting the needs of disabled and older Londoner's and ensuring a genuinely inclusive city. 

Making reference to the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 (SHROA), it outlines the requirements placed on local authorities to assess the current availability of supported housing (including older person’s supported housing) and the likely need (including current unmet need) for supported housing for a period of five years from the date that the strategy is published.

Given London’s ageing demographic, the Plan specifies how Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) should plan to deliver Specialist, Supported and Older Persons Accommodation and how this range of provision should include market, intermediate and social rented. They may also wish to take a local approach including through site allocations to cater for needs.

Until such time as local needs assessments are undertaken in accordance with SHROA, the plan includes a table (Table 3.7, available below as a separate PDF) of minimum new supply of social housing provided for local authorities to address local needs. Boroughs may need to draw on local and other relevant evidence regarding the level and type of older person’s provision to be sought, including private rented and for sale.

In addition, it highlights how such accommodation should be in areas that are well-connected to local services, facilities and social infrastructure by public transport.

On accessible housing design, there is another specific section which sets out how new development proposals for residential development should:

  1. provide at least 10 per cent affordable homes that meet Building Regulation requirement M4(3)(2)(b) ‘wheelchair-accessible dwellings’  
  2. provide at least 10 per cent market homes that meet Building Regulation requirement M4(3)(2)(a) ‘wheelchair adaptable dwellings’
  3. ensure all other homes within the scheme meet Building Regulation requirement M4(2) ‘accessible and adaptable dwellings’
  4. apply M4(3) wheelchair user dwelling standards to all approach routes, including the vertical circulation in the common parts of blocks of flats.

Importantly, as part of ensuring the occupation of M4(3) homes by disabled people, Section 106 agreements for new major residential developments are expected to include the marketing requirements set in policy. This may include information in all general marketing on the specific accessibility features of the M4(3) dwellings for all sales and lettings (first and subsequent). Marketing plans are expected to be approved by the LPA, prior to the commencement of marketing activities for the development or commencing superstructure works (whichever is sooner). A marketing compliance completion report is also expected to be approved by the LPA prior to homes being sold or let.

Surprisingly, with Appleby Blue in London winning the HAPPI awards and RIBA’s Stirling Prize last year, there is no reference to the HAPPI design principles. However, residential development is encouraged to meet standards and good practice, such as the BS8300:2:2018 Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment and Habinteg’s 2024 Inclusive Housing Design Guide.

In addition, design and access statements for specialist and supported accommodation are expected to demonstrate how the requirements of the specific user group have informed the design and functionality of the final proposal.

Lastly, all major residential developments are encouraged to complete a post-occupancy evaluation with occupants within 12 months of occupation to remove barriers, provide learning and improve design.

If you found this of interest, building on the original SHOP@ tools and our subsequent Ipsos research on the housing preferences of an ageing population, the Housing LIN has an excellent track record supporting councils to identity the housing needs and aspirations of older people as well as undertaking SHROA needs assessments. Find out more about how we can support you on our consultancy pages.