Three leading candidates – Sadiq Khan, Sian Berry and Caroline Pidgeon - have committed to continuing the Greater London Authority’s policy requiring 90% of all new homes to be built to “Lifetime Homes” standard and the remaining 10% to be “Wheelchair Accessible.”

Sadiq Khan, Labour Party: as well as committing to continuing the current policy, Sadiq Khan also commits to improving planning and design policies to offer older Londoners more choice, whether they are active, downsizers or in need of specialist and Extra Care homes.  He will also make it easier for owner occupiers to adapt their homes when they want others, including carers and lodgers, to live with them.  In an interview with online property site The House Shop, he committed to working with the “relevant charities and campaigners” to ensure that “supply meets demand, and those marketing accessible properties enable disabled buyers to find a home that meets their requirements.

Sian Berry, Green Party: views the current London Plan requirements just as a starting point that she would like to see extended to include “Lifetime Neighbourhood” principles.  She describes this in her interview with The House Shop as new development that provides good access to green space, digital inclusion and ensures that essential services are located in the community.

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrats: also supports the continuation of 100% accessible homes and is keen to ensure that these are more proactively marketed.  She would like to see a rating system similar to that used to convey the energy consumption of electrical goods.   

Zac Goldsmith, Conservative Party: In response to the Joint Disabled Londoners Manifesto launched by Inclusion London, Transport for All and the Alliance for Inclusive education, Zac Goldsmith committed to retaining the 10% wheelchair accessible housing target and to retrofit as many old homes as possible.”  He remains silent on Lifetime Homes.  In his Action Plan for Greater London,” published in January,  Goldsmith commits to doubling the number of new home completions to 50,000 a year by 2020, giving Londoners the first chance to buy new homes built in London, ensuring a significant proportion of all new homes are for rent and not for sale.  However, there is nothing to assure disabled Londoners that these new homes will all be designed and built to enable them to benefit from the increase.  His manifesto contains a slightly cryptic commitment to “reviewing the planning rules that make it hard to build the homes Londoners love.”  We can only hope that this isn’t a veiled reference to removing the Lifetime Homes requirement.

If you'd like to find out more about the candidates and read their manifestos, click the links below:

Zac Goldsmith, Conservative Party

Sadiq Khan, Labour Party

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrats

Sian Berry, Green Party

If you are a Mayoral candidate and would like to tell us more about what you are offering the 1.2 million disabled Londoners, we’d be very happy to hear from you and share it with our readers and followers.  Email our Policy Manager Andy Shipley. 

Find out more about the Mayor of London election on 5th May at www.londonelects.org.uk. 

Go back to our blog: London Mayoral candidates and disability