ACCESSIBLE HOUSING FOR the elderly and disabled is to be the subject of a two-month consultation with an aim of informing the current Moray Local Development Plan.
An increasing number of people in Moray require suitably designed housing – of which there is currently a shortage in the region.
Now draft supplementary guidance is being prepared as a response to the shortfall and aims to require private sector developers to deliver more suitable housing for sale – and increase the tenure choice for those who require such homes.
The public consultation period was agreed by the Moray Council planning committee and is set to run through until July 1. The report to the committee said: “Surveys suggest that over 60% of older people would prefer to move into a bungalow in later life.
“However, there is a growing under-supply and addressing this mismatch is a challenge for those planning, designing and developing housing for an ageing population.
“The amendments proposed in the revised guidance would provide a mix of house types which more accurately reflects need and demand.
“It is proposed that 50% of private sector accessible housing units are delivered in single storey form – namely, a bungalow. In practice this would mean that the requirement from a development of 100 units would be eight accessible private sector units for sale on the open market – four of which must be bungalows.”
The draft guidance can be viewed on the Moray Council Website while representations should be submitted by no later than 5pm on July 1 to:
Development Plans
Development services
Moray Council
PO Box 6760
Elgin IV30 9BX
These can also be sent by email.