The Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well

The Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well has been developed in response to the housing needs and requirements of the ageing population in Gateshead. The purpose is to set out what our homes should consist of to support us all to age well and thrive in later life whether we stay put or move.
This standard is intended to be used as a best practice guide for any type of home we might live in in later life, whether 'conventional' or 'specialist', owned or rented, new build or existing home. However, it also provides guidance on specific design and features of specialist housing. It is also recognised there may be constraints in relation to adapting and changing existing homes in relation to the content of this guide.

Components of the Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well

The components of the standard have been developed in consultation with local people through a range of qualitative research methods and an online survey which asked people what is important to them about where they live in later life. Each component part provides guidance in relation to how it should be applied to homes for later life in Gateshead, these have been prioritised based on the evidence with local people.

1. Safety and security
2. Remaining independent
3. Affordability
4. Good quality homes that are energy efficient
5. Designing for ageing well
6. Location
7. Inclusivity

This standard is intended to be an aspirational guide rather than a mandatory standard and includes case studies as evidence of what we consider 'good' looks like.

The Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well is intended to be used by commissioners, designers, planners, and developers as a tool when considering providing housing for people as they age across all tenure types.

Complying with this standard will mean that homes in Gateshead will become better suited to the needs and requirements of people in later life. Getting our housing right will have positive impacts for older adults through improved quality of life, health and wellbeing outcomes. In turn this has wider societal benefits by reducing pressure on the NHS and delivering cost savings as people are healthier and happier at home.

View the Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well (PDF, 916 KB) document as a PDF.

Gateshead Council is committed to 'making Gateshead a place where everyone thrives'.

We believe that a thriving Gateshead is one that supports people to age well. Ageing well in Gateshead means being able to live in a home and community that is supportive, safe, accessible, non-discriminatory, and caring. All these elements are crucial to good health.

This standard is intended to be applied to any type of housing, including conventional and specialist housing. However, it also provides guidance on specific design and features of specialist housing.

Who is the Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well for?

The Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well is intended to be used by commissioners, designers, planners, and developers as a tool when considering providing housing for people as they age across all tenure types.

How to use the Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well

This standard is intended to be used as a best practice guide for:

• New build housing that is designed from the outset for ageing well.
• Adaptations and changes to existing housing so that it can support people to age well, however it is recognised there may be constraints in relation to adapting and changing existing homes in relation to the content of this guide.

This standard is intended to be an aspirational guide rather than a mandatory standard and includes case studies as evidence of what we consider 'good' looks like.

In the first instance, Gateshead Council will be using this standard as a guide to shape the Council's approach to its own older person's stock. 

Context

The development of the Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well has been prompted by a recent specialist and supported housing needs assessment and strategy undertaken by Gateshead Council with support from the Housing Learning and Improvement Network, which identified the housing and support needs of local people as they age.

This research highlighted the extent to which Gateshead's population is ageing. It demonstrated that the 65+ and 75+ population cohorts are increasing at a greater rate than the overall 55+ population. This is significant because the 65+ and 75+ population cohorts are more likely to need homes, whether specialist or conventional housing, that are better suited to people as they age.

 Source: ONS 2021 census and ONS 2018-based sub national population projections

This research also involved speaking with local people about their housing needs and preferences. It identified that whilst the majority of people in later life are seeking to remain living in their existing homes, approximately 25% are potentially interested in downsizing or rightsizing. However, people are seeking a range of housing options that enable them to age well and remain independent in later life. This research indicated that amongst those potentially interested in downsizing or rightsizing:

• Around 50% are interested in moving to a form of specialist age-designated housing, primarily retirement housing (for sale) and modern sheltered housing (for social and affordable rent), followed by housing with care (extra care housing).
• Around 50% are interested in moving to age friendly housing that meets age related needs but is not age-designated housing.

Gateshead Council is seeking aspirational, accessible and attractive homes that adapt to meet the changing needs of people as they age in relation to both specialist and conventional housing.

The majority of research participants are seeking to remain living in their existing homes as they age, therefore Gateshead Council also wants to prioritise making where older people currently live better 'future-proofed' for ageing, for example through aids, adaptations and technology. 

Gateshead is above the national average in relation to the Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) for people aged 60+ living in relative poverty at 19.4%, compared to 14.2% nationally. The level of home ownership amongst over 65s is also significantly lower at 68% compared to the 78% national average.

This evidence demonstrates that a mix of tenure options are required including social housing, low-cost home ownership and market housing options. This standard seeks to influence all of these tenure types so that they can better support people to age well and create a mix of aspirational and affordable housing for residents over 55.  

The Gateshead Standard for Ageing Well has been developed with local people over the age of 55 in Gateshead across a range of tenure types, including homeowners and social or private renters. Council colleagues, housing providers and third sector organisations have also been involved.

It is important that the standard is grounded in what is important to local people about where they live in later life, as such the following approach was taken.

It has involved reviewing and analysing evidence from existing engagement work with people in later life conducted by Gateshead Council's Customer Service and Engagement team. This team seeks to ensure that local citizens have an opportunity to work with Gateshead Council to improve and co-design services.

In-person focus groups and discussions with approximately 60 people over the age of 55 during October 2023, including with:

• Gateshead 50+ social group
• Dunston companions' group
• Gateshead Muslim society

A sample of Gateshead council residents living in:

• sheltered housing
• general needs housing

We engaged with local stakeholders including:

• housing providers
• third sector organisations such as the Gateshead Older People's Assembly and Age UK
• relevant council colleagues from housing, commissioning, regeneration and adult social care teams

Drawing on the key themes that arose from the qualitative engagement we developed an online survey to further explore what about our homes enables us to age well. The survey received 700 survey responses which have helped to shape this standard.

We then went back to research participants to ensure the standard had captured what is important to people. This involved publishing a draft version of the standard and accompanying survey as well as presenting the standard to a sample of the community groups we met with initially.

We have reviewed relevant existing national standards and guidance as well as local strategies so that the standard reflects national and local best practice.

We have used local and national case studies of a range of housing types that are suited to the needs of people in later life to demonstrate our aspirations.

We have brought together the evidence from the qualitative engagement with local people and relevant existing standards and guidance to create a standard that is intended to influence the design of new building homes and adaptations to existing homes that will support older people to age well in their homes.

This standard is intended to be applied to any type of housing, whether conventional or specialist, as we recognise that people in later life are living in and seeking a wide range of housing choices across Gateshead. However, the standard also provides guidance on specific design and features of specialist housing for older people.

This standard is intended to be applied to any type of housing, whether conventional or specialist, as we recognise that people in later life are living in and seeking a wide range of housing choices across Gateshead. However, the standard also provides guidance on specific design and features of specialist housing for older people.

The table below demonstrates the range of housing options that are available to us all as we age depending on our care and support needs.

Continuum of care

The availability of accessible and impartial information and advice underpins this standard.

The research with local citizens indicated that people are seeking better access to information on their housing and support options in later life. The Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well supports the development of information and advice that enables people to be better informed about their housing and support options in later life.

There is a need to provide information on specialist housing options available as well as support with remaining at home.

As a good starting point, the the Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) provides an online director (opens new window) of a range of age-designated housing options for older people.

The following quotes are all from Gateshead residents who contributed to this project.

"I am looking for better information and advice about my housing and care choices"

"I don't know enough about the housing options available to me. I am interested in learning more about specialist housing options but I don't know where to start"

"I want to remain living where I am now but I need support to make where I live more accessible"

There are seven components within the Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well that should be applied to all housing types to help ensure that where older people live enables them to age well and thrive.

These components have been developed following engagement with local people and stakeholders about what is important to them about their homes and where they live in later life.

Based on this evidence, the Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well has been categorised into the following components which the survey and focus groups with local older people identified were the most important factors to people about where they live, these have been prioritised based on the evidence with local people:

1. Safety and security
2. Remaining independent
3. Affordability
4. Good quality homes that are energy efficient
5. Designing for ageing well
6. Location
7. Inclusivity

Feeling safe and secure where we live is essential to ageing well. There are several factors that influence our ability to feel safe in our homes and neighbourhoods; from the location of our homes and sense of community to design features and specific security measures in the home. This section brings these together.  

93% of survey respondents said that it was very important that their home feels safe and secure 

Location and community 

A safe and secure external environment is in part determined by the location of our homes. It is important, as far as practicable, that where our homes are located: 

• Provides well-planned communities with natural surveillance through layout and design. 
• Enables us to feel a sense of community. 
• Avoid areas with high crime and anti-social behaviour. 
• Are in well-maintained local areas. 

Whilst the research indicated that some people want to live in age-designated housing, the majority of people are seeking to live in areas with a mixture of ages, even if they live in age-designated housing. 

"I want to mix with local community whilst feeling safe and secure" - Gateshead resident 

Design features 

There are design features within our homes that can support us to feel safe and secure within our internal environments, including: 

• Natural surveillance - increasing the number of ground floor openings, windows and doors maximises natural surveillance. Spaces around buildings should be open to view from adjoining occupied properties. Front entrances should be clearly visible from the street. 
• Well-lit external areas to deter criminal activity and enhance visibility. 
• The design and selection of materials for boundaries should be sensitive to their context and the potential visual and physical impact on the local environment. 
• Places should be designed to foster a sense of ownership, mutual protection and belonging. 
• Accessible design considerations can support us to feel safe and secure in our homes as they support us to navigate our homes safely (these are considered in more detail in section 3).

"We need good street lighting so we can feel safe. This is about being able to see where we are going but also about deterring criminal activity" - Gateshead resident 

Case study: Bensham Court, Gateshead 

Gateshead Council's Bensham Court provides sheltered housing for residents aged 60+ in a large block of 125 apartments that was built in 1963. Whilst the scheme might not first appear to be a contemporary design example, the community service offer is innovative and provides key services that promote health and wellbeing that could be replicated elsewhere. 
A key strength of the community service offer is that it supports residents to feel more safe and secure as they feel a stronger sense of community within the scheme and local area. The communal lounge located adjacent to the scheme hosts a breakfast club, social activities, safe space women's group and is a Warm Space for the community. Within the main block, two ground floor flats are being used to host a community food bank as well as a wellbeing flat with mindfulness room and meeting room. The two scheme managers are dedicated to creating a sense of community and providing services that are required for residents and local people, adding to the safe and secure environment.  

Application to specialist housing 

Within specialist housing such as sheltered/retirement housing or extra care housing there are additional security measures that should be in place to enable people to feel safe: 

• A fob-controlled door-entry system, for staff or residents. 
• Clearly defined and appropriate security measures should be provided where transitioning from public to private space. For example, private residential spaces that are not accessible by the public.
• Motion-activated lighting in outdoor or communal spaces. 
• Security arrangements such as CCTV strategically placed to monitor key areas. 
• Clearly defined defensible outside space. 
• Provision of staff that makes people feel safe. i.e. scheme manager in sheltered housing and the addition of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week onsite care in extra care housing. 
• Provision of technology to support independence (see section 5 on Independent Living). 
• Living in a supportive community with a greater sense of community. 

Infection control 

With Coronavirus in mind, an environment that can enable social distancing and infection control should: 

• Ensure the main entrance and foyer can only be used for residents and their visitors. 
• Hand washing facilities should be located close to the entrance and well signposted. 
• Staff changing, lockers and showering facilities could be provided immediately inside a secondary staff entrance so that staff can wash and/or change when entering or leaving the building. 
• Access to the catering kitchen directly from the outside is essential with dedicated staff hand washing and changing space located immediately adjacent to the entrance. 

Fire safety 

In ensuring fire safety and evacuation measures for specialised housing, it is recommended to: 

• Integrate the alarm system with the warden call system, incorporating both audible and visual signals for residents with hearing or visual impairments. 
• Fire doors, especially entrance doors to apartments, should have 'free-swing' door closures linked to the fire alarm to ensure they are not too heavy for residents. 
• Cross-corridor fire doors should be equipped with 'hold open' magnetic fittings, connected to the fire alarm, to prevent visual and physical barriers. 
• Additional smoke and heat detectors in specific locations, such as kitchens, are advised. 
• Mobility scooters or buggies should not be parked or charged in communal corridors or escape routes to maintain clear evacuation paths. 
• Create personal evacuation plans for residents. 

Case study: Wood Green, Gateshead 

Wood Green is a sheltered housing scheme in Gateshead comprising 65 bungalows that was built in 1938. Whilst the building isn't HAPPI compliant, its inclusion in the standard is due to its community feel which makes residents feel safe and secure. Its comprehensive and inclusive range of activities gives it a welcoming atmosphere with engaged residents. It also provides an enclosed private courtyard which creates a sense of privacy for residents and is an area where people often gather. Because of the design of the communal garden the scheme is able to take part in HenPower, a project run by Equal Arts, a charity that involves older people in creative activities. Caring for hens is a big part of people's lives at Wood Green, and it's helping to combat loneliness and isolation. 

"I would like to be able to live in an area that has a community feeling. Safety, security and wellbeing should be priority when looking at a general housing standard." - Gateshead resident 

Our research with local people indicated that ageing well means being able to live independently at home for as long as possible; for some people this will be in a conventional home whilst others might move to specialist housing that supports their independence. The section identifies the range of housing choices to suit an ageing population and features within the home, including design and technology to support people to live independently.

89% of survey respondents said that it was very important that their home enables them to live independently.

Providing a range of housing choices that support people to remain independent 

Gateshead council is committed to securing the right mix of housing (tenure and type) in the right locations, to meet population projections, support independent living of older people, disabled and vulnerable residents, and deliver our targets for sustainable economic and housing growth. 

Gateshead's Housing Strategy 2019-2030 (PDF, 815 KB)(opens new window) and Gateshead's Specialist and Supported Housing Needs Assessment and Strategy 2023 indicates that this is about providing a range of housing types that enable people to live independently for as long as possible, including: 

• A range of supported and specialist housing (which enables good use of assistive and health technology) that will give people more choice, and meet specific needs of our residents, lead to fewer people living in inappropriate accommodation, reduce the reliance on residential and nursing care accommodation. 
• A range of aspirational and affordable mainstream homes that provide for our growing older population, and households that include people with disabilities, that will allow them to live independently and cost effectively for longer. 

This is supported by Gateshead's 2021 Local Plan and Specialist and Supported Housing Supplementary Planning Document 2022.

Housing that is 'care-ready' 

'Care-ready' housing typically means that a home is capable of adaptation over time to meet changing needs as people age, including space for aids and adaptations. Through good design, homes can be built to be better suited to possible future requirements such as the need to have an over-night carer, storage for mobility scooters and space for care givers, in order to retain independence. 

Care-readiness through the design of accessible homes that adapt to people's needs across their lives is covered in chapter 5. For some of us a care ready home will be enough to enable us to live at home and 'age in place' without ever moving to specialist housing. 

Existing homes can be made more 'care-ready' through the use of aids and adaptations, however the qualitative research indicated that people are seeking adaptations that don't stigmatise ageing but are attractive and non-institutional. 

"If your health allows, support to stay in your home if you want it is crucial, I want to adapt my property so I can stay here" - Gateshead resident 

Case study: Bruyn's Court, Thurrock 

Bruyn's Court in Thurrock has 25 flats, all of which are flexibly designed to adapt to meet the changing needs of residents as they grow older. The 'care-ready' scheme does not provide care and support services, but the aim of the scheme is to radically improve the standard of living for older people in Thurrock, taking account of their social and physical needs, and encouraging social interaction and mutual support. The development has also been designed to help revitalise the town centre, modernising the local built environment while adding further commercial viability to the town centre shops. It has been designed to HAPPI standard, lifetime homes and Sustainable Code Level 4. 

Case study: Invisible Creations

Invisible Creations provide attractive, dual-purpose, and discreet adaptations, strategically placed around the home to help reduce decline in health and make daily living even easier. Invisible Creations products include a plant pot grab rail and shower shelf which have been designed to be practical and stylish.

"I don't want my home to make me feel old, aids and adaptations should be invisible" - Gateshead resident 

Technology and the TAPPI principles 

Technology should enable older people to live independently for as long as possible at home. New housing should provide digitally enabled homes that allow for technologies to be integrated now and into the future. 

Technology and digital infrastructure that can provide support to older people with health and care needs should be built into all new housing whether specialist or mainstream, for example that facilitates the use of movement sensors that can highlight falls. 

 "Technology can support independence but I need support to learn how to use it" - Gateshead resident 

The Technology for our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation (TAPPI) (opens new window)has developed a framework that should be followed when considering technologies that support older people to live independently at home. This consists of: 

Foundations (for example, what you need before you start embedding technology in housing and care for older people). 

1. Co-produced - As early as possible in the process, people and those in their circle of support should be involved as equal partners in the design, procurement and implementation of digital solutions. Making sure that everyone is included, and no one is excluded from taking part. 

2. Connected - Makes sure that devices and systems have a reliable, affordable, and secure internet connection and that there are back-ups or alternatives in place if connections fail. This is to help create a supportive environment where people and their circle of support can stay connected to each other and their community. 

Principles (for example what the tech service needs to be) 

3. Seamless - Makes sure that people and those in their circle of support and different technologies can work together seamlessly in an accessible and hassle-free way. Technologies should be able to adapt to people's changing circumstances and be future proofed so they can flex with new technological or service developments. 

4. Affordable - Provides transparent value for money and enough choice to make it affordable for everyone. 

5. Safe - Delivers a service that prevents problems developing and reinforces the independence of people and those in their circle of support. Makes sure that any private data is kept safe, and safeguards are in place to protect people from internet scams, technology misuse or failure. 

6. Supported - Provides accessible, ongoing training and support to help people and those in their circle of support to build and maintain their digital confidence and skills. Makes sure that senior leaders are on board and that projects are supported by dedicated staff, with both technology know-how and people skills. 

A case study from Bield Housing Association shows these principles put into practice.  

Case study: Bield Housing Association, Scotland 

Bield Housing and Care are one of the largest providers of housing and support services for older people with over 5,000 customers across 23 local authority areas in Scotland. Bield Response 24 (BR24) is their inhouse digital alarm monitoring service which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Bield received funding from the TAPPI project that enabled them to work with tenants to test different devices, apps, and systems across a variety of housing settings. Tenants were given shared responsibility, alongside staff, to co-produce digital services to support their independent living. This resulted in Anthropos4 being selected as their technology-enabled-care project partner. Using Anthropos a Connected Care Platform that enables intelligent remote monitoring, means that the technology they provide will integrate with their systems to meet individuals' varying needs. 

Case study: Blackwood Housing Group, Scotland 

Blackwood is a Scottish housing association and care provider specialising in homes and care services for people with an independent living need. Co design and co-creation are embedded into the creation of their products and services, involving customers, their families and staff teams. Blackwood's CleverCogs customisable digital system enables residents to access many of Blackwood's services online using a tablet-based app. As part of the wider Blackwood CleverCogs offer, all tenants can have WiFi connectivity in their home, are offered a Blackwood tablet device, are provided with free digital skills training for all levels to get online with confidence and ease as well as the CleverCogs Digital System. CleverCogs enables emergency alarms, care planning, home automation, communication including family and friends video calls, health and wellbeing advice as well as entertainment functions. CleverCogs enables tenants to achieve new levels of independence, promotes choice and control and, because the system is based around a series of tiles onscreen, it can be adapted to the individual needs of the user.

Application to specialist housing 

For some people over the age of 55 or 60, living in sheltered or retirement housing enables them to live as independently as possible as a result of the provision of support, communal space for socialising and enhanced safety and security. Extra care housing enables people over the age of 55 or 60 with a care or support need to live independently in their own apartment with access to 24 hours a day, seven days a week onsite care staff, sometimes as an alternative to living in a care home. 

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People inquiry report into the regeneration ofoutdated sheltered or retirement housing (opens new window), sponsored by The Abbeyfield Society identified key features of contemporary sheltered housing. The report highlights what a service model that promotes independence should consist of in contemporary sheltered and retirement housing. Using the evidence from this report, the table below demonstrates what Gateshead Council considers to be the service model that will enable people to age well in specialist housing. 

For our homes to support us to age well, we need to able to afford to live in them and maintain them in later life. This section addresses the relative affluence and deprivation levels among older residents in Gateshead, emphasising the need for a diverse tenure mix to cater to varying financial circumstances. With a focus on providing affordable options, including low-cost home ownership and reduced service charges for specialist housing, the goal is to ensure that all of us have access to high-quality housing that meets our evolving needs as we age. 

87% of survey respondents said that it was very important that their home is affordable to them.

Relative affluence and deprivation 

The Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) score is a measurement of people aged 60+ living in relative poverty, a higher score for a local authority implies a higher level of relative poverty.  

Gateshead's IDAOPI score is 19.4% and it is ranked 6th most deprived out of north east region local authorities. In comparison to the English average deprivation (IDAOPI) amongst older people, Gateshead is relatively more deprived compared with the English average level of deprivation of 14.2%. 

"Affordable housing that is of good standard and able to be adapted as required." - Gateshead resident 

Tenure mix and options 

In Gateshead approximately 68% of households headed by a person aged 65+ in Gateshead are homeowners, this is significantly below the equivalent English home ownership rate of approximately 78%.

Tenure breakdown of over 65 households in Gateshead compared to England households

Source: ONS 2021 census

To reflect the tenure mix requirements and relative deprivation levels of the older population, we want to ensure that homes across Gateshead are provided in a range of tenures that are affordable to local people whilst providing high quality housing. 

The 'middle market' 

Whilst 68% of people aged 65+ in Gateshead are homeowners, the property values are relatively low compared to the England average. According to Rightmove (opens new window) properties in Gateshead had an overall average price of £162,541 over the last year (2023) with semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £178,948, terraced properties sold for an average of £161,801, and flats for an average of £112,696. 

We want to see an increase in low-cost home ownership options available for older people in Gateshead that supports people to 'rightsize' into either conventional or specialist housing that better meets their needs as they age. New housing developments, of both conventional and specialist housing, require a mix of tenure options including social and affordable rent (although it is recognised that grant rates for developing social housing at social rents are challenging), low-cost home ownership (such as shared ownership models) and market sale to meet the mix of housing requirements amongst older people. 

Case study: Clavering Court, Gateshead (opens new window)
A sheltered scheme in Ravensworth, Gateshead, Clavering Court offers 47 one and two-bed apartments available to over 55s who might need support to live independently in their own home. It is part of the Dunston Rocket regeneration site, which includes a health centre, supermarket, transport links and family homes. Apartments are offered for rent or shared ownership which provides affordable home ownership options. All properties are open plan, with level access to bathroom facilities, with some having their own balcony. Properties have a care line alarm and 24 hours a day, 7 days a week emergency response service and support staff from Thirteen Housing Group are on site during office hours. Communal facilities include gardens, a kitchen, a garden room with balcony access and each floor has a communal lounge for get-togethers. The development includes ample parking as well as a buggy bay. 

Application to specialist housing 

Gateshead's Specialist and Supported Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance states that the Council requires the provision of 15% affordable homes on all developments of 15 or more dwellings, subject to development viability.

"We need more affordable housing, sheltered housing can be so expensive." - Gateshead resident 

The guidance also states that affordable housing will be sought as part of Class C3, and where appropriate Class C2, housing schemes where they meet the policy threshold for the requirement of affordable homes, including sheltered housing and extra care housing schemes.

To ensure that specialist housing is affordable, we want to see the service charges levied minimised, so they are affordable for as many older people as possible. In some cases, this is about rethinking the amount of communal space provided to help keep service charges low; the qualitative research indicates that many older people aren't seeking extensive communal space, particularly where amenities and facilities are provided in the local area. 

See the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People report Housing and Care for Older People report Making Retirement Living Affordable: the role of shared ownership (opens new window) for more details. 

Case study: The Fells, Kells Lane, Gateshead
The Fells is a retirement housing scheme provided by Anchor Hanover. It responds to the need for affordable home ownership options by providing 19 two-bedroom purpose-built properties for shared ownership for people over the age of 60. The development is situated in Low Fell, Gateshead, close to Newcastle upon Tyne and has good transport links to the city centre, the A1, Newcastle Airport and the wider region of Northumberland and Durham. The local shops are within 10 minutes' walk and include a supermarket, a post office, banks, library, bakery, hairdressers and cafes. There are doctors' surgeries and a chiropodist within walking distance. The estate manager visits twice weekly to offer help, advice and co-ordinate any services provided. 

Having access to good quality housing supports us to age well. A good quality home is one that provides a decent standard of living but also considers the energy efficiency of a home so that it is designed, constructed, or retrofitted to minimise energy consumption while maintaining a comfortable and healthy living environment. This section identifies what good quality, energy efficient homes should consist of. 

86% of survey respondents said that it was very important that their home is good quality.

80% said it was very important that their home is energy efficient.

Good quality

The Decent Homes standard 

Our homes should be places that we are proud of. Decent Homes Standard sets minimum quality standards for social homes, including meeting statutory housing standards, reasonable state of repair, modern facilities, and thermal comfort. 

We want all homes across Gateshead to meet the Decent Homes Standard as a minimum but expect this standard to be used in conjunction with the other design principles highlighted in section 3 so that our homes go beyond the Decent Homes Standard requirements. 

The Gateshead Housing Strategy 2019-2030 (PDF, 815 KB)(opens new window)highlights our ambition to improve the quality, condition and management of housing so that all residents benefit from safe, healthy, energy efficient, and well-managed homes and local environment. As well as to drive up the quality of new-build design, space standards, accessibility and adaptability. 

"Good quality, well-built homes that are future proofed for the next generation"- Gateshead resident 

Energy efficiency

Homes for older people need to be as energy efficient as possible; this is particularly important given the current cost of living 'crisis' which has seen a huge increase in energy bills. 

The previous UK government's Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener (opens new window) requires social housing providers to achieve a C rating on Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) by 2035 to meet the net-zero-carbon challenge and achieve net-zero by 2050. 

Gateshead's Housing Strategy 2019-2030 (PDF, 815 KB) wants to achieve improved energy efficiency of the housing stock, to help reduce fuel poverty and help meet climate change obligations and targets and has a target of 60% of existing properties to have a SAP rating of 65 or greater by 2020, and all homes by 2030. 

"I want my home to have a low carbon footprint. The cost of fuel at the moment is staggering and our homes need to be energy efficient" - Gateshead resident 

The Future Homes Standard (opens new window)

This standard aims for new homes built from 2025 to produce 75-80% less carbon emissions. Updated Building Regulations require adherence to new standards for ventilation, energy efficiency, airtightness, and insulation. Once this standard is implemented, we want new homes built from 2025 to meet the future home standard. 

Passivhaus (opens new window)

Passivhaus, a low-energy building standard, which originated in Germany. It emphasises super insulation, energy-efficient windows, stringent airtightness, ventilation with heat recovery, minimal thermal bridging, and optimisation of passive solar gain. It aims to reduce energy consumption significantly compared to standard UK new builds. 

These standards collectively address the quality, energy efficiency, and sustainability of homes, emphasising safety, comfort, and environmental responsibility. We recognise that building to Passivhaus is challenging and it is not going to be possible in many cases but there are elements of the standard that can be applied. We look favourably on developments that consider implementing Passivhaus standards. 

Case study: Gateshead Innovation Village (opens new window)
The Gateshead Innovation Village tested a range of modern methods of construction and smart and energy-efficient technologies all on one site, creating a new community with a strong identity comprising 41 homes for affordable rent. A combination of 16 volumetric houses, 19 modular houses and 6 traditional houses were constructed. The Government's 2025 Future Homes standard has already been achieved on the project, positively impacting on the transition to carbon zero. The installation of ground source heat pumps, thermal stores, air source heat pumps and infra-red electric heaters enables a comparison between heat source and house types to determine the most energy efficient and cost-effective combinations. All of the homes are fully occupied with positive feedback received from residents living in this new community, many of whom are reporting reduced fuel bills. 

Case study: Edwards Court, Exeter (opens new window)
The UK's first Passivhaus extra care housing scheme, Exeter City Council's Edward's Court extra care scheme provides 53 one (43) and two (10) bedroom mixed tenure apartments. Designed to encourage community and companionship among its residents and neighbours, a variety of communal areas are interspersed throughout the building, on the rooftop, and in the garden walkways and terraces. To meet Exeter City Council's demanding sustainability and health and wellbeing standards, the low-energy Passivhaus design also helps address fuel poverty by radically cutting heating bills and is climate-proofed to 2080. 

The scheme has also been designed to address the needs of residents with dementia, including: 

• Spaces for safe wandering, with no dead-end corridors or repetitive spaces 

• Connective areas and corridors with distinctive changes of direction, resting places and windows, communal and break-out areas 

• Colour and texture to support wayfinding 

• A viewing window from each flat into the corridor space for personalisation and to aid recognition 

Case study:St John's Almshouse, Lichfield (opens new window)
St. John's Almshouse, is a Passivhaus certified housing scheme for older people in Lichfield, completed in August 2017. The existing Grade I listed buildings date from 1495 and the new 21st century development comprises 18 new flats contained within two separate buildings, which are arranged around a new landscaped courtyard. The Almshouse meets many of the HAPPI design principles. The apartments are accessed via oak framed walkways and circulation towers (stairs and lifts to all upper floor apartments) which are located externally, aiding way finding and providing semiprivate spaces where residents can meet and socialise informally.  The apartments are all designed around generous entrance halls with open plan kitchen and living spaces and spacious bedrooms. They can all be accessed by wheelchair and each has been sized to allow suitable turning space throughout. The design of the scheme as well as the fixtures and fittings have been carefully chosen to provide a homely feel, including in the wet rooms where the trustees were keen to avoid an institutional appearance whilst providing facilities suitable for elderly residents and future adaptation specifically for wheelchair users. It also provides communal gardens which invite residents to get involved in community food growing or to sit under the large undercover Pavilion and seating area. 

We want our homes, whether we live in conventional or specialist housing, to be places that we feel proud to live in and support us to age well. This section identifies the key design features that we consider essential for homes that enable people to age well. 

Designing for ageing well is about creating spacious and accessible homes to facilitate 'ageing in place', in line with Gateshead Council's guidance encouraging adherence to Building Regulation standards M4(2) and M4(3) for new housing developments. It also means applying influential design principles such as the HAPPI design principles and dementia-friendly design considerations, aiming to create inclusive and adaptable housing environments that meet the changing needs of older residents, including those with visual and hearing impairments, within both specialist and conventional housing contexts. 

79% of survey respondents said that it was very important that their home is accessible.

75% of survey respondents said that it was very important that their home adapts to their needs as they change.

Features an accessible home must include

Space and Accessibility Standards

The qualitative evidence from local residents indicates a desire for spacious and accessible homes that enable people to remaining living in their existing homes for as long as possible for example, to be able to 'age in place'. 

Gateshead Council through the 2022 Specialist and Supported Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance and 2021 Local Plan 'Making Spaces for Growing Places' (PDF, 8 MB)states that: 

• For conventional/mainstream housing: The council encourages the provision of 25% or more of new conventional/mainstream homes to meet Building Regulation M4(2) Category 2: Accessible and Adaptable Dwellings standard or equivalent successor standards on housing developments of 15 or more dwellings. Where bungalows and apartments/flats are proposed the council encourages proposals to go beyond the minimum policy requirements set out above and provision of more than 25% M4(2) homes on site will be encouraged by the Council in view of local needs evidence. 
• For specialist and supported housing: there is an expectation specialist and supported accommodation will satisfy the Building Regulations Standard 17 M4(2) as a minimum, and as appropriate M4(3) Category 3: Wheelchair User Dwelling. 

What do these accessibility standards mean? 

The Building Regulations 2010 Access to and Use of Buildings: Approved Document M22 provides information about the ease of access to, and use of, buildings, including facilities for disabled visitors or occupants, and the ability to move through a building easily including to toilets and bathrooms. Requirements M4(2) and M4(3) are 'optional requirements' as defined by the Building Regulations, however, see the Gateshead Council's guidance on adherence to these requirements. 

• M4(2) - A higher level of accessibility that is beneficial to a wide range of people who occupy or visit the dwelling with particular benefit to older and disabled people including some wheelchair users. Features to enable common adaptations. 
• M4(3) - Suitable, or potentially suitable through adaptation, to be occupied by wheelchair users. 

"I want to see the best accessibly standards for all new housing and to be applied to existing housing stock. Owners and renters need help with repairs and raising insulation & accessibility standards, eliminating damp/mould. We need homes that are more comfortable with lower running costs" - Gateshead resident 

The HAPPI design principles

The Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation (HAPPI) (opens new window)design principles have been and continue to be highly influential, informing good design of a spectrum of specialist older persons' housing which needs to offer both an attractive alternative to the family home, and be able to adapt over time to meet changing needs. 

The HAPPI principles are now starting to be more widely recognised as applicable to informing design across non-specialist homes. This housing standard encourages HAPPI compliance as far as possible across all housing, whether specialist or conventional. They are desirable but may not be feasible in all contexts, particularly when applied to making changes in existing homes. 

The HAPPI principles are based on 10 key design criteria:

• space and flexibility 
• daylight 
• outdoor space 
• adaptability and 'care ready' design 
• circulation space 
• shared facilities and hubs 
• natural environment 
• sustainable design 
• storage 
• external shared surfaces and home zones 

Case study: Tree Top Village, Walker, Newcastle (opens new window)
Exclusively for people over the age of 55, Tree Top Village is HAPPI compliant and consists of a main building, offering 75 sheltered housing apartments, bordered by 36 one and two-bedroom homes and 8 bungalows with gardens. All flats are designed to wheelchair mobility standard, and a range of flats also provide enhanced levels of accessibility for residents with higher mobility needs. 
With a hotel-like feel, the main building is centred around a glass atrium with a lobby, reminiscence library, Italian restaurant, hair and beauty salon, mobility shop, and card and gift shop. These amenities are open to the public, to support the integration of older people with the wider community, as well as bring investment to the local area. 
The apartments are spread over four floors and all have either a private balcony or outdoor courtyard area. Features inside the apartments include high specification kitchens and bathrooms, spacious bedrooms and light and airy lounges, many with views of Newcastle's iconic skyline. Each of the properties can also easily be adapted to respond to a range of needs and has a level access shower, a transfer area and access to an on-site scooter store.  

Case study: Appleby Blue, Southwark (opens new window)
Appleby Blue is an Almshouse run by United St Saviour's Charity, offering 57 spacious homes in a lively community setting to people over 65. Located in the heart of Bermondsey with a bus stop right outside and the hustle and bustle of inner-city living, Appleby Blue enables its residents to remain active members of a thriving, intergenerational and diverse London community.
The main communal space, the Garden Room, opens on to a planted garden court with a raised water feature running throughout, designed by Grant Associates. It forms the traditional almshouse courtyard style centre of the building, offering a space for residents and visitors to socialise or relax in peace and quiet. The Appleby Blue community kitchen sits at the heart of the building, as a kitchen should, with United St Saviour's Charity running culinary-based community projects with local organisations to foster intergenerational connectivity in Southwark and provide important upskilling opportunities for young people in the borough. 
The 2 to 5 storey design enables a cascading level of interaction between the surrounding community and the almshouse residents. A roof terrace includes raised beds for growing herbs and vegetables. The detail of the project is impressive, with raised beds created with residents in mind, to enable recreational gardening activities despite varying mobility levels. Appleby Blue adheres to the HAPPI design principles. 

Case study:Addison House, Cardiff (opens new window)
Addison House is one of Cardiff Council's new Community Living schemes providing 'homes for life' for people aged 55+ for social rent. It is located within a new multi-generational neighbourhood and consists of 44 one or two bedroom apartments on 5 floors with lift access. The scheme has communal facilities such as a lounge, roof terrace/lounge with views across the Bristol Channel, a laundry room, a courtyard garden, parking spaces including electrical car charging points and facilities for storing and charging mobility scooters. 
The scheme has been designed to RNIB Platinum standards and complies with the HAPPI standards. The flats are dual aspect, spacious and open plan and have large private balconies to create a light and airy space. The flats are designed to be flexible enough to adapt around people's changing needs. 
All of the homes will incorporate renewable technologies and smart energy management systems to significantly reduce the energy demand on the grid, as well as helping to tackle fuel poverty by significantly reducing energy bills. There is a ground source heat pump under the central communal garden. 

Dementia-friendly design

In 2020, 6% (2,527) of people over the age of 65 were living with dementia in Gateshead; this is projected to increase by 36% to 3,437 by 2040. Consideration should be given to making our homes dementia-friendly, whether older people choose to remain living in their existing homes or move to specialist accommodation. 

The University of Stirling's Designing Homes for Cognitive Ageing (DesHCA) project (opens new window)sets out key general principles for dementia-friendly housing design that can be incorporated into designing new housing or improving an existing home. These focus on internal design features: 

• Contrast 
• Colour 
• Pattern 
• Light 
• Reflections 

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Housing and Care for Older People is an informal cross party group that promote discussions and sets the agenda for developing better, more joined up housing care for older people, promising greater choices in later life. The APPG report 'Housing for people with dementia - are we ready?' (opens new window) applies dementia-friendly considerations to the HAPPI principles. Gateshead Council is keen that these principles are applied within a specialist housing setting, such as extra care housing. These principles are summarised below but see the annexe for full details. 

Dementia-ready HAPPI features

1. Generous internal space standards that are familiar, safe, easy to understand, navigate and move around independently and consideration of acoustic performance. 
2. Plenty of natural light with good visual access avoiding glare. 
3. Balconies and ease of access to outdoor space, avoiding long internal dead-end corridors and single aspect flats that might isolate someone with dementia. 
4. Future adaptability and modifications which are 'dementia-ready'. 
5. Generous circulation spaces that are recognisable, clear, step free and easy to navigate without reliance on signage, lead to an activity or destination to encourage social interaction. Provision of seating alcoves, effective colour ways and points of interest (for example, art and pictures) to aid wayfinding. 
6. Open and welcoming access to outward facing, on-site shared facilities or community 'hubs'. Flexible spaces to provide opportunities for both social interaction and quieter, intimate scale spaces. 
7. Providing helpful stimulation and clear orientation with easy access to green space. Consider outdoor surfaces, covered spaces, textures and contrasts, looped paths and opportunities for purposeful activity. 
8. Energy efficient low carbon design and specification. Easy to use and understandable and familiar looking controls. 
9. Extra storage for personal belongings within individual dwellings and ease of access to mobility and other aids. 
10. Hazard free external environment, well-lit and appropriate use of signage or cues and level pedestrian access with close proximity to accessible public transport and neighbourhood amenities. 

Case Study: Watergate Court, Gateshead 
Watergate Court in Gateshead is an extra care housing scheme that opened in 2022 for people aged 65+ with a care or support need, people who are over 55 may still be considered depending on their needs. 
With 82 homes, it provides more homes than typical extra care housing but this larger scale has meant that Home Group have been able to create a luxury hotel feel with the interior design fixtures and fittings. It provides 47 one bedroom apartments and 20 two bedroom apartments. 
In response to the increasing number of people living with dementia in Gateshead, Watergate Court has been designed to be dementia friendly and also includes 15 dementia-friendly apartments which are designed to be more open plan so residents can see around their home. There is extra security in this part of the building, but it doesn't feel isolated from the rest of the building. 
Watergate Court also has open plan communal lounges, restaurant, coffee bar, treatment rooms, guest rooms, assisted bathrooms and an EV charger. The open communal spaces have been split up using interior furnishings, which create more intimate spaces and invite people to use the space. 

Case study: Norba Court, Tower Hamlets, London (opens new window)
Norba Court is a redevelopment of a former Gateway Housing Association sheltered housing sheltered site that has maximised and increased the number of homes available from 32 to 46, six of which are dedicated wheelchair accessible. 
Gateway has worked with the University of Stirling (Scotland) Dementia Design Services Team to ensure that the design construction, fixtures, and fittings at Norba Court support the total wellbeing, safety and promotes social connection of residents who will live here. The redevelopment has also provided 14 shared ownership homes (adjacent to Norba Court, called Trajan Court) addressing affordability issues in the local area. 

Designing for visual impairments 

We want our homes to be designed to accommodate visual impairment. Inclusive designer's, Motionspot, have selection of design considerations for people with a visual impairment. (opens new window)

For example: 

• the use of colour contrast throughout the building, including on fixtures and fittings consistency of materials and colour scheme and tones throughout the flooring. 
• consistent, even lighting should be applied throughout and in particular across the floor. 
• use of signage to make it easier to navigate. 
• extra help, such as support rails, perching benches and quiet seating spaces. 

Designing for hearing impairments 

We also want our homes to consider the needs of those of us with limited hearing, particularly in specialist housing by: 

• Providing adequate sound separation and reduction of reverberation. 
• Considering the acoustic separation of noisy rooms. 
• Specify a high acoustic absorbency for finishes in large spaces with higher ceilings such as lounges and dining rooms to reduce echoes. 
• Provide hearing loops in specialist housing with larger communal areas. 

Application to Specialist Housing 

The qualitative evidence demonstrated that local people are seeking contemporary internal and external design in specialist housing for older people that avoids an institutional look and feel. Gateshead Council has a Service Specification for Extra Care Accommodation aligned with the Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well that should be referred to when considering new extra care housing developments. 

The location of our homes is extremely important and critical to supporting us to age well. This section focuses on the key factors in relation to the location of our homes that need to be considered. 

It highlights the importance of accessible public transport, nearby amenities, and essential facilities to support independence and well-being for older people. It emphasises adequate parking, access to green spaces, considerations for topography, and maintaining air quality and cleanliness in creating age-friendly neighbourhoods conducive to healthy living. 

70% of survey respondents said that it was very important that their home is well located.

Services and amenities 

Living in a location that meets our needs means that we can maintain our independence, support networks and access services and amenities should we need them. It is therefore recommended that homes are: 

• well served by public transport, for example, bus stops, train stations, metro 
• close to shops and amenities 
• close to key local facilities, for example, health facilities, post office, public services
• close to facilities that support us to maintain a healthy lifestyle 
• Close to cultural and/or religious amenities

Service and amenities in specialist housing 

The Gateshead 2021 Local Plan, Making Spaces for Growing Places (PDF, 8 MB) states that specialist and supported accommodation and care schemes will be expected to: 

1. Provide on-site, or have good accessibility to, shops, services, community facilities and open space appropriate to the needs of the intended occupiers, their carers and visitors and/or 

2. Have good accessibility to public transport routes. 

In determining whether the accessibility to shops, services, community facilities, open space and public transport routes is good, the Council will have regard to the distance, gradient, simplicity of navigation and the security and safety of the route taking into account the extent to which it is overlooked or has other natural surveillance and the need to cross roads.   

Good accessibility uses a starting point of a maximum 400 metre distance from any home within the proposed development to the identified services and/or facilities. 

In some cases, amenities can be met onsite within specialist schemes where there is a lack of availability in the local area, as per the case studies below. 

Case study: Angel Court, Gateshead
Angel Court is an extra care scheme in the south of Gateshead and is within easy travelling distance to the centre of Gateshead and Newcastle City Centre. Angel Court was built in 2011 and has spectacular views of the world-famous sculpture the Angel of the North. There are 45 two bedroom flats over six floors. There are a range of communal facilities such as a café, hairdresser and a communal lounge. The location of the scheme has been taken into consideration when deciding on the communal spaces. Due to the limited amount of shops in the local area, a shop has been provided on site. Angel Court also provides access to the green space with a well-landscaped communal garden with planting, seating areas, a walk-way and greenhouse. 

Parking 

The availability of adequate parking is crucial, cars are one of the last things that we are prepared to give up in later life and they can support us to remain independent, even where there is public transport available. Our homes need to have space for visitors and guests to park. 

The Gateshead 2021 Local Plan, Making Spaces for Growing Places (PDF, 8 MB) states that in new residential development parking should be provided at the following levels: 

Levels of parking provision will be averaged across the site as a whole. 

In relation to sheltered accommodation, Making Spaces for Growing Spaces states that flats/houses with permanent on-site staff presence may also need to make provision for staff car parking. Lower levels of resident and higher levels of visitor parking are likely to be appropriate depending on circumstances. This could be linked to the availability of local amenities within walking distance. 

For residential institutions such as residential or nursing care, the maximum requirement is 1 space per 3 residents for visitors and space for 1 ambulance. 

Electric vehicle charging

Our homes and neighbourhoods should consider the availability of electric vehicle charging stations; this is increasingly becoming required as the number of electric vehicles in the UK increases. 

The Gateshead 2021 Local Plan, Making Spaces for Growing Places states that within major developments, provision should be made for car club vehicles and/or electric vehicle charging points. The most appropriate location for any such provision within the site will be discussed a part of the design process. 

'It is important for us to be able to park close to our property as my wife has mobility issues.' - Gateshead resident 

Green space 

Having access to public and private green space is important for health and wellbeing. This means that homes should have access to: 

• plants, trees, and the natural environment 
• external shared spaces 
• private external space

"I want to live in a clean well maintained area with lots of green spaces / flower beds" - Gateshead resident

 "At the moment we are isolated due to lack of public transport" - Gateshead resident

Topography 

65% of survey respondents said that an accessible home should have level external terrain.

The immediate surroundings should be easily accessible, whilst it is recognised that Gateshead has a hilly terrain, as far as practically possible the topography should promote ease of use by ambulant older people, wheelchair users and mobility scooters. Including features such as dropped kerbs and pedestrian road crossings will enable areas to be more accessible. 

Air quality and cleanliness 

Homes for ageing well should be considerate of air quality and pollution levels. Ideally not located right next to a busy road with lots of traffic. However, our homes should be sufficiently close to public transport, a balance needs to be struck here. 

There should be adequate space and easy access to refuse points. 

Neighbourhoods should be well maintained and free of refuse; people are seeking a pleasant outlook that is easy to get around. 

The elements above are applicable whether living in conventional or specialist housing. 

Case study: Limelight, Manchester 
Limelight, located in Trafford, Manchester, is one of the first 'integrated hubs' to be delivered in the UK, and is a model for future age friendly developments. As such, it is an extra care scheme that has considered the availability of local services in its development and provided services that were not available in the local community. The 81 extra-care apartments are integrated with a GP surgery and community facilities, including a café, event space, library and nursery, as well as offices for council services and social enterprises. As a mixed-use site, the scheme has become an asset to the local community as well as providing door-step services to residents.
By providing mixed tenure housing, it also addresses the need for affordable housing in the local area. There are 21 two-bed extra care apartments offered on an Older People's Shared Ownership basis and 60 one and two-bed properties available to rent. 

Case study: Oakfield, Swindon (opens new window)
Oakfield is a new eco-friendly neighbourhood that will provide 239 homes in Swindon and is being developed by Nationwide Building Society, in partnership with Swindon Borough Council, Igloo and GreenSquareAccord. 
The design of the neighbourhood has been carefully considered to enable residents to feel part of a community. Shared communal spaces where local people will gather and build connections, includes two acres of new public park, a terraced amphitheatre which will be a flexible space that can be used for community events and informal sports. Residents can also choose between a traditional private garden, or a smaller private garden with access to a shared garden. 
The neighbourhood also provides a mix of housing types and tenures, enabling young and older people to live alongside each other in the community. Apartments for those aged 55+ are designed for a variety of accessibility needs, and sit alongside larger family homes so people of all ages and life stages can live side by side. 71 homes (30%) will be available as Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership through the housing association partner GreenSquareAccord.

Our homes need to support older people across all communities in Gateshead to age-well and thrive. This section addresses the cultural and religious needs of residents alongside the unique challenges faced by older people that identify as LGBTQ+. It emphasises the importance of culturally competent housing design, which respects diverse cultural preferences and values, while also advocating for LGBTQ+ friendly environments that combat discrimination and foster a sense of belonging. 

Through considerations such as proximity to cultural amenities, access to supportive networks, and the provision of LGBTQ+ affirmative accommodation and care, the aim is to create inclusive spaces where all of us can age well without fear of prejudice or discrimination. 

40% of survey respondents said that it was either very or quite important that their home caters to their cultural and/or religious needs.

Cultural and/or religious needs are things that are necessary or helpful for an individual to thrive due to their cultural background or religion that they follow, sometimes they can be interlinked. For example, access to places of worship, cultural amenities such as shops or community centres or the way in which a home has been designed or furnished.

Diversity in Gateshead

Gender identity 

Figures may not sum due to rounding

Sexual orientation

Figures may not sum due to rounding

The Jewish population is recognised by the council as a significant minority in Gateshead, however the Census data above doesn't necessarily reflect this. Bensham and Saltwell is the largest centre for Jewish education in Europe and attracts Talmudic students from across the world. 

'Culturally competent' housing 

Culturally competent housing refers to the design, development, and provision of housing that respects and takes into account the diverse cultural needs, preferences, and values of the people who will be living in those homes. 

The following should be considered in relation to the design and development of culturally competent homes and neighbourhoods that support all communities in Gateshead to age well: 

• Proximity to cultural and/or religious amenities where appropriate. For example, religious spaces and specialist retail spaces. 
• Access to community and voluntary organisations working with diverse communities 
• Access to existing support networks such as family and friends, other people from similar cultural and faith-based communities. 
• Prevalence of multi-generational living amongst some families potentially requiring larger properties. 
• Homes that support older people to 'culturally right-size' where multi-generational living is not required. For example, move to accommodation that suits both age-related needs and cultural preferences. 
• Culturally appropriate care and support. 
• Information and advice provided in community languages. 

"Sheltered housing as it is doesn't appeal to me, I might consider moving if it addressed my cultural/religious needs. For others in my community, multi-generational living will continue to be what they prefer" - Gateshead resident 

Case study: Cherry Tree House, Leeds (opens new window)
Leeds Jewish Housing Association have developed a mixed-use site within the heart of the Jewish Community. The housing component comprises Cherry Tree House, a purpose-built 51 unit sheltered scheme for over 55s and Hillside, a 34-unit apartment block for which anyone is eligible. The site also includes a community centre providing culturally sensitive services such as synagogue on site, café and restaurant and arts and culture. 
The sheltered apartments are connected to 130 existing properties to form a sheltered village of 181 apartments for older people with secure access to the Ziff Community Centre. 

Case study: Rupali Court, Birmingham (opens new window)
In 2021, Housing 21 a not-for-profit provider of housing for older people launched their 'cohousing strategy'. The vision is to expand from extra care housing and retirement living and provide cohousing as an additional option for older people of modest means, specifically those from BAME backgrounds. Cohousing is commonly described as an "intentional community" or a group of like-minded people coming together. Housing 21's definition for this scheme focuses more on a community that offers "mutual support" where neighbours look out for one another as it felt this description of "like minded" could deter diversity. 
Research undertaken by Triangle Architects and Housing 21 identified a shift in multi-generational living amongst some people from ethnic minority communities and therefore cohousing for older people was identified as a possible option for older people from these communities. 
Following local consultation, it is intended that Rupali will be a cohousing scheme for women over the age of 55 from the diverse community of Lozells including from the Bangladeshi community. 
In addition to 25 one- and two-bedroom apartments which will be available for social rent, the application includes a residents' lounge/multi-faith room, landscaped communal garden, parking and an allotment area for residents to grow their own vegetables. 
The scheme will also include common area with a kitchen and open space, where the community could come together to cook and eat; as well as space for activities such as yoga. 

LGBTQ+ 

Homes suited to older people need to be welcoming and relevant to people that identify as LGBTQ+. Research from Housing LIN (opens new window) some of the issues that older LGBTQ+ people face in relation to housing includes, experience of stigma and discrimination in housing and care services, loneliness as a result of an increased likelihood of living alone and lack of community support. Often existing 'right-sizer' accommodation might not be considerate of the needs of LGBTQ+ people. 

The themes throughout this standard are relevant to people that identify as LGBTQ+, however consideration also needs to be given to the following: 

• Communities and services that accept a person's sexuality and identity. 
• The importance of social networks and family of choice later in life, especially for forms of support and care. 
• Providing LGBTQ+ affirmative 'right-sizer' accommodation, although this is not everyone's preference. i.e. accommodation that meets both age-related needs and LGBTQ+ identity. 
• Providing care and support that is LGBTQ+ friendly. 

"For me it's important to create something where members of the LGBT community can live and age well without fear of discrimination and prejudice. As a group we often experience homophobia in services for older people and for some they hide their identity, go back in the closet so to speak for fear of I'll treatment." - Gateshead resident 

Case study: Tonic@Bankhouse, Vauxhall, London (opens new window)
Tonic@Bankhouse is the UK's first LGBT+ affirming retirement community. LGBT+ affirming means that the approach to services and support is not just "LGBT+-friendly" but affirming of the lives, histories, needs and desires of LGBT+ people. 
Bankhouse consists of 84 apartments, 59 for affordable rent and 25 for shared ownership, across 14 floors. One Housing owns and manages all of the affordable rented apartments at Bankhouse, and 6 shared ownership apartments. 
Amenities on-site include communal gardens, a community lounge, a restaurant and bar, an overnight guest suite, a laundry room, floating garden, roof terrace and bike storage. All areas of the building are fully accessible to wheelchair users. 
Bankhouse has 24 hour on site staff and optional care packages from Care Outlook are available. 

Case study: Pride in Ageing Programme, Manchester City Council, LGBT Foundation, Age Friendly Manchester and Barclays (opens new window)
The Pride in Ageing programme highlights the ongoing contributions of LGBTQ+ over 50s to our city region and ensures their voices are heard when it comes to ageing policy and planning. Launched by Sir Ian McKellen in June 2019, the programme was also set up to address concerns that too many lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people over the age of 50 are living in isolation and facing discrimination as a direct result of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 
The LGBT Foundation and Manchester City Council are currently working with Greater Places Housing Association to develop the UK's first purpose-built and co-produced LGBTQ+ Extra Care housing scheme. The plans are in place to develop 79 homes as extra care housing as part of a 120 home development on the 120 homes on the 2.25-acre former Spire Hospital site. 

The Gateshead Housing Standard for Ageing Well provides a comprehensive framework for creating living spaces that prioritise the health, safety, and well-being for all of us as we age. By incorporating features from the seven components for ageing well, we can ensure that older adults can continue to live independently and thrive as they age. 

The importance of housing in promoting healthy ageing cannot be overstated. Safe and accessible housing not only supports physical health but also contributes to mental well-being and social connectedness. By following the guidelines outlined in this standard, we can create environments that enable older adults to remain active, engaged, and independent for as long as possible. 

It is crucial that policymakers, architects, developers, and community stakeholders work together to prioritise the needs of older adults in housing design and planning. By doing so, we can create inclusive and age-friendly communities where older adults can continue to live fulfilling lives with dignity and independence. 

Gateshead Council is committed to building a future where housing promotes healthy ageing and enables us all to thrive in later life. 

This section provides a glossary of terms used throughout the Gateshead Standard for Ageing Well. 

Planning Use Classes 

The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) puts uses of land and buildings into various categories known as 'Use Classes' the relevant classes are detailed below. 

Class C2. Residential institutions 

Use for the provision of residential accommodation and care to people in need of care (other than a use within class C3). Residential care homes, hospitals, nursing homes, boarding schools, residential colleges and training centres. 

Class C2A. Secure Residential Institution 

Use for a provision of secure residential accommodation, including use as a prison, young offenders' institution, detention centre, secure training centre, custody centre, short-term holding centre, secure hospital, secure local authority accommodation or use as a military barracks. 

Class C3. Dwellinghouses 

Use as a dwellinghouse (whether or not as a sole or main residence) 

(a) by a single person or by people living together as a family, or 

(b) by not more than 6 residents living together as a single household (including a household where care is provided for residents). 

Housing types 

Conventional housing: refers to property occupied by the majority of the population such as homes purchased in the open market, property rented from a private landlord or general needs housing rented from a local council or housing association. 

Specialist and supported housing: is typically defined as a housing service where housing, support and/or care services are provided to help people to live as independently as possible. This can be for older people or others that might have care/support needs. See page 8 for further definitions. 

Care-ready housing: typically means that a home is capable of adaptation over time to meet changing needs as people age, including space for aids and adaptations. Through good design, homes can be built to be better suited to possible future requirements such as the need to have an over-night carer, storage for mobility scooters and space for care givers, in order to retain independence. 

Modular home: Modular homes are houses built off-site, usually in an indoor, quality-controlled setting. Modular homes are completed in sections called modules, according to specific plans. These sections are then transported to the site where they are assembled by builders and installed into the foundations. The construction process is referred to as MMC or Modern Methods of Construction. 

Volumetric home: Volumetric construction is a type of modular construction, where the main difference is that volumetric modules are completely enclosed, while other modular construction modules may be open on one or more sides. 

Standards and guidelines 

HAPPI design principles: (opens new window) Over ten years ago, the very first HAPPI report, 'Housing our Ageing Population, Panel for Innovation' (HAPPI), identified ten key design elements that characterise attractive and successful housing for an ageing population. They have now been adapted to incorporate 'dementia-ready' features, as highlighted in the table below.

Lifetime Home Standard (2011): The concept of Lifetime Homes was developed in the early 1990s by a group of housing experts, including Habinteg Housing Association and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Lifetime Homes are ordinary homes designed to incorporate 16 Design Criteria (opens new window) that can be universally applied to new homes at minimal cost. These include: 

1. Parking (width or widening capability) 
2. Approach to dwelling from parking (distance, gradients and widths) 
3. Approach to all entrances 
4. Entrances 
5. Communal stairs and lifts 
6. Internal doorways and hallways 
7. Circulation space 
8. Entrance level living space 
9. Potential for entrance level bed space 
10. Entrance level WC and shower drainage 
11. WC and bathroom walls 
12. Stairs and potential through-floor lift in dwellings 
13. Potential for fitting of hoists and bedroom / bathroom relationship 
14. Bathrooms 
15. Glazing and window handle 
16. Location of service controls 

In England, the Lifetime Homes standard was superseded in 2015 by M4(2) Part M of Building Regulations, which is broadly equivalent to the Lifetime Homes standard. 

Sustainable Code Level 4: The Code for Sustainable Homes (opens new window) Level 4 is a design stage certification that assesses a project's compliance with building regulations for energy efficiency and other sustainability considerations. Projects that achieve Level 4 must surpass current regulations and have significantly lower CO2 emissions.

Royal National Institute for the Blind (opens new window) (RNIB) 'Visibly Better' Accreditation: Visibly Better is RNIB's accreditation scheme for social landlords, who have older people independent living schemes or care homes within their housing portfolio. Visibly Better provides a unique support structure that advances the quality of living for residents with sight loss and empowers staff to confidently improve residents' independence and mobility through simple adaptations to the environment.

Age-positive terminology for specialist older persons housing.

Research with older people indicates that the terms 'sheltered' or 'extra care housing' are unattractive and put people off moving. Whilst there is no universally preferred term/s, the public is seeking terminology that isn't associated with a care home or 'ageing'.  

As a result, there is increasing diversification in the 'branding' that housing providers are using for their older people's housing services for sheltered and extra care housing. 

Many providers are using the term 'retirement housing', whilst others are removing the terms altogether and refer to the scheme names instead. The table below provides some examples of more age-positive terminology, however it doesn't pretend to be a silver bullet. 

Age-positive terminology for sheltered and extra care housing