Campaigners have warned that despite firm commitments from the government, a large proportion of new homes continue to be constructed without essential accessibility features, making them unsuitable for elderly people, disabled residents, and many families.
In 2022, the government announced its intention to establish the M4(2) standard accessible housing as the new minimum for all new homes in England. This standard requires properties to have step-free entrances, wider doors, and adaptable layouts. However, slow progress means more than 300,000 homes have since been built to the outdated M4(1) specification—with an additional 13,000 added each month.
M4(1) homes, classified as Category 1, are only required to be “visitable.” This means a visitor can enter and use a ground-floor WC—but it does not ensure that the home can be lived in by someone with reduced mobility. M4(2), by contrast, ensures all entry-level spaces are step-free, corridors and doorways are wider, and layouts can evolve with a resident’s changing needs.
Inside Housing recently explored the long-term consequences of this legislative lag. Lord Richard Best, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People, called it “a story of delay and procrastination,” noting that ongoing inaction guarantees the creation of more inaccessible homes that may last for decades.
Architects’ Journal also covered growing professional support for M4(2). It pointed out that accessible homes are widely beneficial—helping not just disabled people but also parents with buggies, guests with prams, or individuals recovering from injury. Architect Amy Francis-Smith called for urgent reform to stop the current “postcode lottery” of uneven accessibility standards.
“Accessible design isn’t a luxury; it’s essential,” said Sam Davies, Director at Age Care Bathrooms. “We need homes that support people throughout their lives, not ones that force costly adaptations or premature moves into care.”
While concerns over cost have been raised in some quarters, campaigners stress that upgrading to M4(2) adds just £1,400 per home—a figure dwarfed by the tens of thousands of pounds required for future care or renovations.
A new public petition is calling on the government to finally adopt M4(2) as the default building standard, with exemptions permitted only in narrowly defined circumstances.
Sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/mandate-accessible-housing-now-make-m4-2-the-minimum-standard-for-all-new-homes
