To consider any Motions submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 14.
Minutes:
The Chairman announced that one Motion had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 14.1 and 14.2, this had been circulated in Bundle 2 on 7 November 2019. The Motion is set out below:
“That this Council supports the aspiration of increasing the proportion of homes which are designed to accommodate a person through all phases of their life, otherwise known as “Lifetime Homes”. In doing so the Council would be acknowledging the diverse and ageing population in our area.
In pursuit of this aspiration and pending a review of relevant Local Plan Policies, the Council requests the developers of all sites to improve the accessibility and inclusiveness of all homes.
Simple changes should be considered for incorporation into designs to enable, not just the occupiers of the property, but their family and friends, to gain access within their capabilities. As a result, this would create houses that could be visited by all irrespective of their ability.
The Council agrees that after the adoption of its Design Guide. Future design guidance be prepared to implement these aspirations as part of the Council’s plan making”.
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The Chairman invited Councillor Mrs Worne, to propose and present her Motion.
In proposing her Motion, Councillor Mrs Warne highlighted that everyone present in the Council Chamber this evening could, in the future, find themselves in a situation where their personal circumstances changed. Everyone took independence for granted until this was suddenly lost or changed in some way. Councillor Mrs Worne stated that she had reflected upon how she had felt following her attendance at her local Remembrance Sunday service in remembering the soldiers and those who had fought and those who had died fighting for our today’s independence. It was her view that we all had an obligation to continue in a passive way to fight for independence out of a sense of duty for all those who had served in this way. Councillor Mrs Worne stated that it was unacceptable that there were people who had suffered an accident or illness and were still in hospital unable to leave as there was no-where suitable for them to live allowing them to cater for their new disability. Sadly, as a result of this, some ultimately ended up having to live in care homes which was costing the Country millions of pounds.
Councillor Mrs Worne stated had everyone had the right to independence and that it was impossible to know when this could be lost, or partly lost, she knew this from personal experience, this could be because of illness, an accident or old age. She felt that everyone should be able to visit a friend for a cup of tea and it was vital to future proof homes to provide security and peace of mind. This could be achieved with some simple adaptations that could save money and help in cases of flooding.
The Motion was then seconded by Councillor Chapman.
The Chairman then invited Members to debate the Motion. All Councillors who spoke supported this cross-party Motion confirming that it was a thoughtful and well-worded proposal that sent an important and clear message out to the wider community, this being that all new homes needed to be future proofed against the ageing process and that if simple adaptations could be made at the design and build stage, the costs of which would be minimal, it was hoped that Arun as a Council could be seen to be leading the way on this important issue.
More debate followed with those speaking praising Councillor Mrs Worne for proposing the Motion as it was such an important subject for all as it was about inclusivity and the mental wellbeing of Arun’s community. It was hoped that simple steps such as making doors wider; raising electricity plugs and improving access to buildings would make a real difference. It was felt that these steps needed to become mandatory and it was hoped that Arun could achieve this. A request was made that assessments be made of the Council’s own housing stock in line with this Motion and that a report be presented to Members on progress sometime soon. Mention was made of the need to build bungalows as part of new developments and that pressure should be put onto developers to do this. Too much focus was placed onto “first time Buyers” and not “last time buyers”.
On the Motion being put to the vote, it was declared CARRIED.
The Council
RESOLVED
That this Council supports the aspiration of increasing the proportion of homes which are designed to accommodate a person through all phases of their life, otherwise known as “Lifetime Homes”. In doing so the Council would be acknowledging the diverse and ageing population in our area.
In pursuit of this aspiration and pending a review of relevant Local Plan Policies, the Council requests the developers of all sites to improve the accessibility and inclusiveness of all homes.
Simple changes should be considered for incorporation into designs to enable, not just the occupiers of the property, but their family and friends, to gain access within their capabilities. As a result, this would create houses that could be visited by all irrespective of their ability.
The Council agrees that after the adoption of its Design Guide. Future design guidance be prepared to implement these aspirations as part of the Council’s plan making”.