Inclusive design should be a key principle of all new developments, and the needs of disabled, older and less mobile people should be incorporated from the outset.
The City Council is committed to achieving the highest standards of inclusive design, both in its own projects and those it influences through its statutory powers. Open the link at the bottom of this page to read about our Inclusive Design Action Programme.
The Local Development Core Strategy reflects this in CS Policy 3: 'Designing Quality Places', which requires developments to "meet the highest standards of accessibility and inclusion, based on inclusive design principles and the need to create 'lifetime neighbourhoods' ".
Lifetime Homes standards
It is the council's policy to ensure that all new housing developments are designed to 'Lifetime Homes' standards so that they are adaptable enough to match lifetime’s changing needs. This is a nationally recognised set of criteria that are designed to make new dwellings adaptable enough to accommodate a household’s changing lifetime needs and enable them to be lived in and visited by a wide range of people.
For further information and guidance, please visit our Lifetime Homes page.
The Equality Act 2010
Read about the Equality Act 2010, which replaces nine pieces of equality legislation, including the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The Act continues and strengthens protection for disabled people from discrimination, particularly relating to the physical environment (including buildings, transport, streets, and spaces).
