34 Forum SUB-STANDARD HOUSING STOCK
The Government has introduced the Decent Homes Standard which means that Local Authorities have to bring all of their homes up to a certain standard by 2010. A decent home is one that is wind and weather tight, warm and has modern facilities. A third of all housing falls below the Standard. Over 1.5 million households live in social homes which are not deemed decent. Approximately, 200,000 London council homes are termed non-decent and this is being addressed. The proportion of stock that is so designated has fallen from 53% in 2003 to 46 % in 2005.
A decent home meets all of the following criteria:- - It meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing; - It is in a reasonable state of repair; - It has reasonably modern facilities and services; - It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.
Homes which fail to meet this Standard are those which do not have three or more of the following: - Reasonably modern kitchen (20 years old or less); - Kitchen with adequate space and layout; - Reasonably modern bathroom (30 years old or less); - Appropriately located bathroom and WC; - Adequate insulation against external noise (where external noise is a problem); - Adequate size and layout of common areas for blocks of flats.
Forum Questions:
How do you reconcile the cost of housing against the inability of many people to afford it?
Land apart, why are American houses less than half the cost to build and look so much more attractive and exciting?
Do you have anything to say about this? Email:
housing@tspltd.co.uk
Poor housing and poor environments, the Government tells us, can contribute to an area having a bad reputation. They are factors which have contributed to areas becoming unpopular and making communities unsustainable. Many local authorities who are regurgitating the above mantra and telling us what they are doing about it. Others plead poverty and the need to get private landlords, housing associations and other people involved.
The sad fact is that while this may be very worthy what most people want is a decent home in a decent environment, populated by decent people. Nowhere can you find information about what is so desperately needed in terms of youth clubs, meeting places, leadership buildings anywhere where the young can congregate. Decent homes will never be decent without decent infrastructure, decent schools and decent things to do in the evening. This too is a major problem which now needs to be addressed.
SUPER DENSITY
Recommendations for living at Superdensity is a remarkable document which should be studied by all in the building industry. It’s free and easily available from Design for Homes at the Building Centre (tel 0870 416 3378) or visit
www.designforhomes.org).
Forum Questions:
How do we improve the dreadful, flat and boring design of so many houses and educate the ‘children’ who have drawn them in their lunch-hour?
Why don’t so many builders have pride enough to give their houses a ‘wow’ look and user- friendly factor instead of just milking them for the very last penny?
Do you have anything to say about this? Email:
housing@tspltd.co.uk
London’s population is growing faster than any other European. Hong Kong has a population density of 7,000 people per sq km while London’s present density is 5,100; soon there will be parity. This is a report produced by four of London’s major consultants specialising in residential developments. It hopes to influence the Mayor’s Housing Strategy but its recommendations and implications could be unilaterally applied to any UK conurbation. Superdensity is the consequence of the successful compact city. The challenge is to create housing appropriately to enhanced standards of design and management so that homes will succeed. There are 10 Sections spread over its 32 pages, all with their own summary recommendations:: Neighbourhood content; Balanced communities; Making flats work for families; Management: Organising and accessing flats; Privacy; Outdoor space and the public realm; Environmental sustainability; The role of local authorities in procurement; Meeting the cost of service charges.
But there are many problems with super density and so many of the many are social.
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