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Foundation for Lifetime Homes and Neighbourhoods launches at House of Lords.
5 March 2010
On Wednesday 3rd March 2010, Baroness Rosalie Wilkins, in association with Age Concern and Help the Aged, Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR), the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and Habinteg Housing Association, launched The Foundation for Lifetime Homes and Neighbourhoods.
The Foundation for Lifetime Homes and Neighbourhoods is a partnership formed to promote the Lifetime Homes Standard (LHS) and campaign for well-designed, thoughtful and fit for purpose housing development. Housing that is desperately needed to meet the demands of the UK’s ageing population and affordable housing shortage.
The Foundation will challenge the Government’s delay in their commitments to the Lifetime Homes Standard as well as the ongoing lassitude in dealing with the long-term effects of our housing crisis and ageing population.
Speakers at the Parliamentary Launch included Baroness Kay Andrews (Former Minister for Housing and Planning), Ellen Lebethe (London Older People’s Strategy Group) and Richard Blakeway (Mayor of London Housing Advisor), who all agreed that housing was the key to future challenges for health and social care provision and should be at the top of the current political agenda. In addition, private sector developers Chris Chapman (Managing Director, Cloud Nine) and Gary Akers (Technical Manager, Crest Nicholson), gave both the business case and design case in favour of Lifetime Homes which they argued were desirable, marketable, easy to implement and resulted in better quality homes.
The Lifetime Homes Standard is currently under review and the Consultation can be viewed at www.lifetimehomes.org.uk/consultation (closing date for feedback is 15th March 2010).
The Foundation for Lifetime Homes and Neighbourhoods have launched a Pledge demanding action from the Government in ensuring accessible, inclusive, adaptable, well designed and fit for purpose homes and neighbourhoods. You can support the Foundation and sign the Pledge at www.lifetimehomes.org.uk/pledge.
“This isn’t about housing design and planning, it’s about people. The current population of 10 million disabled people and increasing numbers of over 65s (reaching 16 million by 2031) simply won’t forgive us if we pass the buck to future generations. We are at a turning point and the time to get it right is now. One thing has become clear in recent months; whether it’s about climate change, energy or the financial system, ‘Business as usual’ is not an option. We have to find new ways of doing things. The Foundation will act as a waypoint towards developing new approaches and practices.”
Andrew Shipley, Lifetime Homes Co-ordinator.