Silence again from Labour ministers on accessible housing, despite new announcements

Labour ministers have again failed to make any commitment to toughening standards on accessible homes, despite announcing a string of new housing measures at their annual party conference.

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who is also the housing secretary, told the conference (pictured) of plans to build “decent homes for working people”, and she said a new planning framework would “provide the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation”.

Rayner is leading on delivering the government’s pledge to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.

She also told the conference that Labour’s renters’ rights bill would “rebalance the relationship between tenant and landlord and end no fault evictions”, while it will also “clamp down on damp and mouldy homes by bringing in Awaab’s Law in the social rented sector”.

And the government will consult this autumn on a new “Decent Homes Standard” for the social rented and private rented sectors.

Rayner also said that a new national planning policy framework this autumn would “unlock the door to affordable homes and provide the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation”.

But there was no mention in her speech of the accessible housing crisis.

The prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, also spoke on Sunday of new “planning passports” that he said would “turbocharge housebuilding in urban areas after 14 years of stagnation and blockage” and “accelerate urban densification by setting high standards for design and quality”.

But he also omitted any mention of the need to build more accessible homes.

After Disability News Service questioned the party on the failure of ministers to mention the accessible housing crisis, a Labour spokesperson said: “Accessibility in new homes and accessibility standards for buildings in general are a key concern for many people.

“Housing is one of this government’s top priorities and everyone deserves to live in a decent home in which they feel safe.

“The government will set out its policies on accessible new build housing shortly.”

In July, Inclusion London led a protest about the accessible housing crisis outside the gates of Downing Street.

The protest was timed to coincide with the second anniversary of a pledge by the last (Conservative) government – which was never fulfilled – to take action to address the shortage of accessible homes.

Chants at the protest were aimed at Rayner and the new prime minister.

A day after the protest, Rayner delivered a speech to MPs about the government’s plan to “get Britain building” and “breathe life back into towns and cities” without once mentioning disabled people and the accessible housing crisis.

Now, at this week’s conference in Liverpool, she repeated that omission during her speech, which received a standing ovation from party delegates.

Inclusion London said in July that an estimated 400,000 wheelchair-users were living in unsuitable homes, while more than 100,000 disabled people were on council waiting-lists for accessible and adaptable homes.

Protesters later delivered a letter to Number 10, calling on the prime minister to take “immediate and decisive action”.

The letter called on the government to strengthen guidance so all new homes will have to be built to the stricter M4(2) “accessible and adaptable” standard, and a minimum of 10 per cent of new homes meet the M4(3) standard, which means they would be suitable for a wheelchair-user.

It is now more than two years since the last government announced it would strengthen these standards, and nearly four years since the policy was first consulted on.

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