Does your home have step-free access?
Neighbours on our new build estate have highlighted that our homes should apparently all have step-free access by law, but looking around it looks like the developers have kind of ignored that for quite a few properties... Are builders allowed to ignore the requirement for at least one step-free access point? Do homeowners have to request it specifically?
It's called Part M regulation apparently and it makes sense for a new home to have step-free access should anything happen or visitors acessibility etc. Or, even for getting the buggy in and out to make life easier and more accessible.
This is what I found on the NHBC website. www.newbuildinspections.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/nhbc-part-m-disabled-access.pdf
LABC (the other warranty provider) say this www.labcwarranty.co.uk/blog/designing-and-building-your-homes-to-be-more-accessible-part-one/ "With an ageing population and housing high on the Government’s agenda, it is not difficult to see why a consultation on accessibility is in the pipeline"
There are definitely a good number of homes on our development with no step-free access but they are also occupied, which suggests they must have passed NHBC standards etc? Weird.
A neighbour seems keen to raise it as an issue. Her DH has developed a condition which means on bad days he requires a wheelchair and they have just realised they have no step-free access, but it is subtle (it's like a 2 brick worth step into their front door). Other adaptations to the house have been super easy though, such as wide doors and lower light switches for him etc. They just need a stairlift really.
Not something you think about until you or someone need it I guess. But worth getting sorted just in case kinda thing. Is there anything homeowners can do?