Accessible housing statement

Applications for six or more residential units (including conversions and change of use) will need to be accompanied by an Accessible Housing statement.

This statement should set out how the proposed development will comply with the requirements of both the following guidelines (included below):

• Sites and Policies Plan Part 1: Development Management Policies - Policy DM42
• Accessible Housing Needs Assessment SPD 

In particular it should confirm how many, and which of the proposed residential units, will be built to comply with the category 2 standard of Part M of the building regulations. Planning applications that do not comply with policy DM42 and the adopted SPD are likely to be refused planning permission.

Planning conditions

If planning permission is granted, a condition will be attached to the planning approval notice requiring the Building Regulations process to confirm compliance with The Building Regulations 2010 Volume 1 M4(2) Category Two: “Accessible and adaptable dwellings” before a building regulations completion certificate can be issued. This applies regardless of whether you use an Approved Inspector or North Somerset Building Control to obtain building regulations approval.

How to meet the requirements

The number of accessible units required to comply with Category 2 of Part M of the Building Regulations is one for a scheme of 6 to 8 new units. This then increases at a rate of one additional accessible unit for every 6 units proposed.

The document will need to state:

• which of the proposed dwelling units will be built to comply with The Building Regulations 2010 Volume 1 M4(2) Category Two: “Accessible and adaptable dwellings”
• how the selected dwellings would relate to the surrounding site in terms of accessibility of pedestrian routes and access to local services. This is to ensure the dwellings are practical and feasible in allowing disabled people to be able to move around the area and live independently
• how the selected dwellings would comply with each of the of standards set out within The Building Regulations 2010 Volume 1 M4(2) Category Two: “Accessible and adaptable dwellings”. This should be detailed in text and demonstrated on scaled plans, at a scale of at least 1:50.
• any variations in provision between the selected dwellings
• justification for any feature that does not fully comply with the above building regulations

The statement should be succinct, to the point, and relate to the development proposed.

Additional notes

The statement should use accurate and informative illustrations. Any maps, diagrams or artists’ impressions should be based on the application drawings, as these must eventually be capable of being translated into construction drawings to complete the compliance process. (This will be undertaken by either Local Authority Building Control or an Approved Inspector).

Location of units

Please note that there should be a spread of accessible housing units across different housing types, sizes, and locations within the application site. Where a site is to be phased, each phase must include a proportion of the total required for the site. It is important to avoid a ghetto effect, or to limit a disabled household’s choice of where they might live due to a provider’s personal view of their needs.

Multi storey developments should avoid placing all accessible dwellings on the ground floor and seek to ensure there is adequate lift access to upper floors.