All new homes in England will be required to have step-free access under proposed changes to the Building Regulations. The Architect’s Journal reports that the reforms have been brought about after a consultation into raising accessibility standards for private housing.

The new regulations will only apply to entrance-level access, but it could mean that apartment blocks which currently do not have step free access will now have lifts installed. It may also pave the way for houses to be designed to better standards of accessibility in the future.

The minister for rough sleeping and housing Eddie Hughes said: ‘Older and disabled people must have homes which are suitable for their needs, and allow them to live comfortably and independently.’

He added: ‘This consultation has made clear raising the accessibility standard of new homes is supported not just by people who use accessible homes, but by industry and wider stakeholders as well. With that mandate, we are forging ahead with the next steps to make this a reality.’

The move has been made in response to the growing problem of the UK’s aging population, and the fact that only 9% of UK homes have key accessibility features, which allow them to be classed as ‘visitable.’ It is thought that over 400,000 wheelchair users are living in homes which are not properly adapted to their needs.

The proposed changes to the building regulations will require accessibility to be considered as an integral part of the design process, rather than an afterthought. This will help to futureproof England’s homes, by allowing current and future generations to stay living independently in their homes for longer.

Accessible features in a home, such as lifts, not only benefit the elderly and disabled, but also the parents of young children, pregnant women, and the temporarily injured. They also make them more visitable for older generations.

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