Feedbacks from the working groups
green spaces - personal green spaces i.e. manageable gardens and community green spaces
a flexible community facility - e.g health visitor space, meeting space and social facilities
adaptable homes - interior layout which is adaptable and well designed; not all homes adaptable but we would like to see a variety of alternative homes; housing option and advice service to help people to choose which home is right for them
also transport and access - but within house more challenging to keep people fit
Facilities - the ability to build community spaces is absolutely paramount as people get older they still have the opportunity to socialise (e.g. NW cambridge/ University development there needs to be scope for all part of the spectrum of the population to socialise and they would build a community that has the flexibility
Accommodation - we need to look at the balance of quantity and quality and it should not necessarily be mutually exclusive. We agree a lot what other people said but also the opportunity for a house to adapt to two houses (e..g if you have a couple and one of the couples dies or gets divorced there is opportunity as the couple ages for the house to adapt and potentially providing a revenue stream by having two houses and also includes having a neighbour as well.
Environment - flexibility and a portfolio of choices and recognising that as you get older you still remain an individual - just as the needs of different young people recognising as you get older that there is a danger of society to group older people together and we actually need to invite older people to be part of the planning process - new and existing communities and giving people the choice of the environment they want to live in
If we get it right for old people then we also get it right for everybody!
Facilities - all listed where needed but importantly old people must be able to access them ie we were much more concerned about transport - we wanted to add others such as public toilets and group centres
Adaptability - we could not anything to all covered by Lifetime Homes presentation - we liked all adaptations and we very much like to enforce them at building stage through building regulations (to include potential adaptation for stair lift, room for walking chair)
Environment - clearly one size fits all does not work in this respect and a variety is needed. We want adaptable new built and we favoured clustered areas for old people which want to do that and (e.g. Girton development for 70 old people which would allow care on site - clear;y one good model; other example at Ely where 8 or 10 are grouped together and many people want to stay in their old homes). Transfers - wish to incentivise old people to get out of their large houses and give their money to children - should there be a grant for moving? Should there be a stamp duty reduction? Even better make the homes really attractive so they want to go to them. Thus a specialist adviser who would advise old people on their move and would be very useful.
Transport - the ability to access them and some favourable comments made regarding public transport and making sure that transport is available for older people and that facilities are accessible.
The need for facilities to meet the challenges of loneliness and avoid being isolated - facilities need to be the right environment for people when they want to meet and not be compelled to meet
Accommodation - a huge group vote in favour of lifetime homes and a desire for more choice and better design - design for new housing or existing houses and a feeling that there was not enough choice nor good design available
Environment - we want a range of environments for older people and for people to exercise choice and for those choices to be elastic so that people can move as their needs change. One of the things we have not yet talked about is the desire for older people's need not to be catered alone but some facilities would e.g. benefit younger people younger families and for facilities to be shared and be elastic. Thus we had strong discussion on integration, meeting places and choice.
Not just new development but established that there is a large amount of old housing stock and thus not just new built but also adaptation needed. Retrofitting and grants essential and the need for incentives for people to change accommodation and all be flexible.
Choice & integration are essential as are neighbourhoods.
Choice with some clusters of development together so that people have the choice to mix with their own age group or not and that their health is looked after and dwellings have adaptability We also felt that there was the need for informed choice and the need for education in that area so that older people were capable of making that decision.
On matter of balanced building stock we had the discussion if you could design such like Lego so you can change one room for one house and then give it to another should needs change, however an architect in our midst that that this was done in the 1960s in Camden and of course all the buildings remained exactly the same as when they were built and have never been adapted - there is a lesson as you can never tell what people will do!
Infrastructure transport shops public libraries etc but particularly not having ghettos but have facilities for all different generations. we were harking back to our childhood and the loss of neighbourhoods. We think with technology we can get back to some of that.
There needs to be a strong distinction if you thinking of shopping and travel if you are rural or urban based and planning need to be very different in those two places.
Need to think to plan to bringing facilities to people in much higher need, but people who weren't be able to go out and do things and maintain their independence.
65 to 85 age group is extremely diverse and there needs to be much more evidence of the needs and preferences of the reasonably active ones and are pretty independent and those who are not
Accommodation - we were very strongly in favour in letting people function to their capabilities rather than taking the easier option on planning terms restricting people functioning as it is easier that way. Strongly in favour of new built being adaptable - moving rooms from one house to another and houses that are built so that they can be adapted from being a family house in the first instance to later being an accommodation for an elderly person downstairs with people in as lodgers or even their middle aged children living in their own space. Thus houses which are flexible in use over time with no major structural change. Certainly not separated from the community and recogising that some people want choice to live in a cluster of flats and that they would like to live in contact with local community