Policy HO6
Meeting needs of people who need care and support
- The council will support applications for new specialist and supported housing, including specialist housing for older people and care homes where it is demonstrated that the accommodation:
a) would meet an identified local need and is targeted towards existing borough residents.
b) will be suitable for the intended occupiers in terms of the standard of facilities, the level of independence, and the provision of support and/or care.
c) makes provision for a range of tenure types, including affordable housing, where appropriate, with reference to Local Plan Policy HO3.
d) is of a high design quality, relevant to the needs of the intended occupiers, making provision for private and communal amenity space and incorporating accessible and inclusive design
e) there is a good level of accessibility to public transport, services, shops and other facilities needed by the residents
f) makes adequate provision for access and servicing of the development including parking for visiting health and care professionals and where appropriate safe storage or wheelchairs and mobility scooters; and
g) the impact of the proposed development will not be detrimental to the amenity of the local area or to local services and contributes to creating a mixed, balanced and inclusive community.
- Applications for development that would result in the loss of existing housing which meets identified specific community needs will only be granted permission if:
a) it can be demonstrated that there is no longer an established local need for this type of accommodation; or
b) it can be demonstrated that the current facility is unfit for purpose; or
c) the existing floorspace will be adequately re-provided on-site or elsewhere in the borough.
- Where relevant, any evidence of need should consider the full range of special needs, including the frail elderly, people with physical and learning difficulties, and people needing short term support.
- The housing needs of older people are to be met mainly through conventional residential accommodation in the C3 use class which can be adapted to accommodate changing needs of the residents over their lifetime. The council will support and encourage proposals which provide adaptations enabling residents to live independently in their own homes. Specialist older persons' accommodation and care home accommodation should supplement conventional housing to meet the needs of the borough's older population.
- The council will support new specialist older persons' housing as defined in the London Plan, and care homes where they meet an identified need. The London Plan requirements for specialist older persons housing will be applied and applicants should demonstrate how the design will address the needs of people with dementia and other long-term health conditions.
- For care homes in the C2 use class, development proposals must ensure that 100% of habitable rooms are wheelchair accessible.
4.46 Specialist and supported housing covers all housing types with an element of care and support that enable a range of people to access suitable housing as well as live safely and securely in their own home. While older people are a prominent user group, other groups include people with mental health needs and those with learning disabilities. The council aims to create more sustainable communities to enable residents to remain in their communities through different stages of their life. Examples of different types of specialist and supported housing covered by this policy include:
- Sheltered housing – supports older people to live independently, commonly self-contained homes with limited on-site support
- Supported housing - this can either be self-contained or shared accommodation. Like sheltered housing, residents may have less support needs, however, supported accommodation is not defined primarily for older people.
- Extra-care housing– combinations of the above providing independent living alongside care and support, and sometimes also offering support for older people in the wider community.
- Supported living – this can either be self-contained or shared accommodation. It is not defined primarily for older people and provides support such as personal care.
- Residential care homes – commonly bedsit rooms with shared lounges and eating arrangements.
- Nursing homes – similar to residential care, but accommodating ill or frail elderly people, and staffed by qualified nursing staff.
- Dual-registered care homes – residential care homes where nursing care is provided for those residents who need it.
- Staff accommodation ancillary to a relevant use will also be appropriate.
Assessing need
4.47 Where appropriate, it will be necessary for any evidence of need to consider the full range of special needs, including the frail elderly, people with physical and learning difficulties, and people needing short term support, although some accommodation may not be suitable for all groups without significant investment.
4.48 To ensure that new specialist housing can meet local needs, applications for new provision will be assessed in relation to the identified local need for the facility and its potential impact on the provision of services to the local community, such as health and social care. Special needs accommodation that serves a London-wide or a sub-regional need can put additional pressure on these local services. Also, some special needs housing can impact on the amenity of the local area, for example through people coming and going, and this needs to be taken into account in considering the scale and location of such developments.
Local needs for older persons housing should be met principally through conventional housing. All new residential development in the C3 use class must therefore meet accessible and adaptable requirements in line with Local Plan Policy HO5, to allow residents to remain within their homes as they grow older and in turn mean less reliance on specialist forms of accommodation. However, they should be able to access specialist housing if they need extra support. The London Plan includes an indicative benchmark for specialist housing for older people in Hammersmith and Fulham of 70 additional dwellings per annum.
4.49 The council will encourage the retrofitting of existing residential buildings and units to better suit the day-to-day needs of older people, including by making them wheelchair accessible and adaptable, subject to acceptability with other Local Plan Policies.
4.50 The London Plan discusses the range of accommodation options that are available to older people. It clearly distinguishes between specialist older persons accommodation and care home accommodation. Applications must state the use for which planning permission is sought. The nature of development proposals will be established based on the definitions and attributes of specialist and care home accommodation set out in the London Plan.
Location, design and management of specialist and supported housing
4.51 Special needs housing should normally be located in areas accessible to public transport and other local facilities for the benefit of residents and visitors. The council will also seek to ensure that developments make adequate provision for access, parking and servicing for vehicles, with drop-off points for taxis, mini-buses and ambulances located near the building's principal entrance and there should be appropriate provision made on-site for the safe storage of wheelchairs and mobility scooters, as appropriate. Additionally, applications should demonstrate that the development and any associated uses do not have an adverse impact on the operation of the highway.
4.52 Development proposals should be designed with reference to inclusive and safe design principles, taking into account the latest industry good practice guidance. They should promote and adequately respond to the sharing or joint use of facilities, particularly to encourage a sense of community belonging. Development should also be designed to ensure a good fit between the facilities supplied and the specialist needs of the intended occupants. Applications should include detailed information regarding staffing requirements and visitors (including numbers of staff and visiting care professionals, staff working hours, visiting hours).
4.53 Development proposals for specialist and supported housing should make a provision for a range of tenure types where appropriate. For older persons housing, affordable housing will be sought in line with the London Plan threshold approach. Proposals for non-C3 accommodation, including care homes and other forms of specialist housing, will also be expected to contribute to affordable housing provision where appropriate. The Council recognises that the operational and financial characteristics of such developments may affect their ability to meet the full requirements of Policy HO3. In these cases, applicants must demonstrate that the maximum viable level of affordable housing is being delivered, supported by a robust viability assessment where necessary. Specialist older persons' housing that meets the relevant criteria may be eligible for the London Plan's Fast Track Route; however, care homes and other forms of non-C3 accommodation will be assessed individually, in line with the borough's commitment to securing genuinely affordable housing.
4.54 The council seeks to protect the existing provision of specialist and supported housing by ensuring that such housing is not lost through redevelopment unless there is robust justification. Proposals that would result in the loss of this type of accommodation will only be permitted where it can be robustly demonstrated that there is no longer an established local need for the housing, that the existing facility is unfit for purpose and cannot be viably refurbished or adapted, or that the existing floorspace will be adequately re-provided either on-site or in a suitable alternative location within the borough.