Residential Design Standards PDF 2 MB - Southwark Council

2.10 Wheelchair housingLifetime Homes are suitable for many older people and the vast majority of disabled people but they are notdesigned to meet the additional spatial requirements for wheelchair users. There remains a shortage of housingsuitable for wheelchair users across London and wheelchair housing has been identified as a key housing needin Southwark. The London Plan and the saved Southwark Plan policy 4.3 require at least 10% habitable roomsor units of major new residential development (10 units or more) to be designed to be wheelchair accessible.Wheelchair housing in affordable housing schemesThe greatest need is for more affordable wheelchair housing. To incentivise the development of such units,for every affordable housing unit which complies with the wheelchair design standards, one less affordablehabitable room will be required than otherwise stated in Strategic Policy 6 of the Core Strategy.The London Borough of Greenwich has developed the ‘Greenwich Standard’, known as the South EastLondon Housing Partnership Wheelchair Housing Design Guidelines, which is a nationally recognised bestpractice standard for wheelchair housing. It incorporates and builds on the nationally recognised HabintegWheelchair Housing Design Guide and the Housing Corporation’s Scheme Development Standards. This SPDadopts the South East London Housing Partnership Wheelchair Housing Design Guidelines to be used asSouthwark’s guidelines for wheelchair design guidelines. New developments must meet this standard unlesssite constraints such as topography prevent the standard from being met. Where this is the case the councilwill require justification as to why the standard cannot be met. The standard covers the following 15 areas1. Moving around outside2. Using outdoor space3. Approaching the home4. Negotiating the entrance door5. Entering and leaving, dealing with callers6. Negotiating the secondary door7. Moving around inside/storing things8. Moving between levels9. Using living spaces10. Using the kitchen11. Using the bathroom and shower room12. Using bedrooms13. Operating doors14. Operating windows15. Controlling services.Appendix A of this SPD shows the link to the most up-to-date wheelchair standard24