Topic 4.1
Space Standards

Enabling access to healthier food and avoiding routes to poverty are addressed through good design.

Smaller homes, built at higher densities have reduced kitchen and dining space. 

Many homes are now built without enough space for a family to sit and eat together resulting in poor habits around mealtimes, snacks and the social aspect of eating together. 

Reliance on pre-prepared food, often high in fat, sugar and salt, as a regular part of the diet, leads to poor health outcomes such as diabetes and heart disease. Outlets can include home deliveries, hot food takeaways, vending machines in schools, workplaces, hospitals.

This issue is equally applicable to students and people in their place of work as to residential design. The ability to prepare a healthy day time snack and sit comfortably to eat it will encourage people to choose the healthy option.

All new residential developments built with enough space for food storage, food preparation, cooking and dining.

Address the ability for building occupants to cook and eat on site at design stage.

Consider if Nationally Described Space Standards are adequate.

Develop local space standards or adopt shared standards across the region justified by local social, cultural, demographic data.

Map local housing standards and health

The role of kitchens is already recognised in Northern Ireland. Kitchens are seen as not only the main workplace in a home, but they provide the focal point for much social activity. The design of the kitchen should, therefore, recognise its use as a family room.

The Commission on Creating Healthy Cities (CCHC) 2022 report found:
“The physical environment contributes in several ways to the problems caused by unhealthy diets and eating patterns. The small space standards not only of overcrowded existing properties, but of newly built houses and flats, mean many homes have no place for a family to eat together around a table. This discourages preparation of meals at home as well as diminishing the bonds of family life.”

The TCPA is working with Councils and communities to explore different ways the Healthy Homes Principles can be used as a framework for improving the quality of new development in their area. Informed by that, we have produced a technical guide which explains in detail why and how the Healthy Homes Principles can be applied in local policy and practice.  https://www.tcpa.org.uk/resources/healthy-homes-principles/

Adopt policy for all new homes to meet – nationally described space standard: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1012976/160519_Nationally_Described_Space_Standard.pdf

Publish residential design guidance highlighting need for space to cook and eat.

Local developers

Social landlords

Employers

Education establishments

Relevant policies in schools/colleges regarding dining experience, relaxed atmosphere to encourage social eating, away from distraction etc.

Link in procurement policies so that any vending machines have to adhere to Government Buying Standards.

Satisfaction ratings of new homes

Proportion of homes built with adequate kitchen areas.

Developments granted Home Quality Mark

Sefton 

https://hdawards.org/scheme/the-gables/ 

The development combines affordable and open market homes in a mix of two, three and four bedroom units – all in excess of Nationally Described Space Standards.

Nottingham

Nottingham City Council has adopted the NDSS in Local Plan Policy DE1 (to see an evidence paper click here). Policy HO4 addresses Accessible and Adaptable homes, requiring 10% of the homes to be compliant on schemes of more than 10 units.

https://www.dqfnottingham.org.uk/ndss

St Helens Borough Council’s Local Plan Policy LPC01: Housing Mix, requires that in new developments on a greenfield site of 25 or more dwellings, at least 20% of the new homes will be constructed to ‘accessible and adaptable’ standards, as contained in Part M4(2) of the Building Regulations, and that at least 5% of the new homes should be designed to the ‘wheelchair user adaptable’ dwellings standards set down in Part M4(3)(2)(a) of the Building Regulations. This will ensure that a proportion of all homes available in the Borough will be suitable and / or can be adapted, without undue difficulty, for occupation by residents who are wheelchair users and to ensure that these homes will also be accessible to visitors with limited mobility.

Hull SPD SPD 14: Healthy Places, Healthy People 18

To contribute towards addressing these health priorities and in respect of Local Plan Polices 5 and 6 the Council will encourage applicants to demonstrate that the proposed development:- 

• complies with nationally described space standards (as set out in the Local Plan) and seeks to achieve standards ensured through third party certification such as the BRE Home Quality Mark, which considers a further range of quality and sustainable measures;
• has internal spaces for internal movement, including a dining space which can accommodate a table to encourage families to eat together, space to sort, prepare and cook home-made food, and sufficient cupboard and storage space for other items such as bikes and scooters, and space for children to do their homework;

https://www.hull.gov.uk/downloads/file/3671/spd14-healthy-places-healthy-people linked from https://www.hull.gov.uk/planning-applications/supplementary-planning-documents