MPs show their support for almshouses

The Almshouse Association continues to apply pressure to government with regards to protecting almshouse charities from becoming unintended casualties of new legislation and we are pleased to have the support of a growing number of MPs.

This week, CEO Nick Phillips met with Ben Everitt MP at Westminster to seek his support for the amendment to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) affordable housing definition to ensure almshouses are recognised. A significant lead on the Levelling Up Housing and Communities Committee, Ben was very encouraging and a champion of affordable housing. His support is invaluable and we thank him for his time and interest in the almshouse movement.  

Also this week in House of Commons Written Answers:

HoC Written Answer: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Almshouses: Planning  

Siobhain McDonagh (Lab) (Mitcham and Morden): (195628) To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department issues to local planning authorities on support for almshouses that are not Regulated Social Landlords under the terms of section 106 affordable housing.

Rachel Maclean (Con) (Redditch): The department does not issue guidance to local planning authorities specifically on this matter. It is up to local planning authorities to determine what contributions should be sought through Section 106 agreements, in line with statutory tests on their use set out in regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Regulations 2010. The department has published guidance on planning obligations to support local authorities with their use. As part of the National Planning Policy Framework consultation between 22 December 2022 and 2 March 2023, we sought views on how we can help bring forward more community-led housing, including almshouses. We expect to publish a response to the consultation this Autumn.

Our thanks to Siobhain McDonagh MP for her persistence and determination to ensure almshouses remain on the housing agenda. We look forward to reading the response to the NPPF consultation this autumn.

See also:

posted 13 September 2023

Letter from the Secretary of State to social landlords on damp and mould guidance

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities issued a letter on 11 September 2023 to social housing providers informing them that the government has published guidance on the health impacts of damp and mould in the home.

As part of the government’s response to the Coroner’s report into the tragic and avoidable death of Awaab Ishak, the government committed to publishing consolidated guidance on the health outcomes of damp and mould in the home.

This guidance has now been published – please click here to access

It has been written in response to the Coroner’s report and recommendation that evidence on the risks of damp and mould should be made accessible to the housing sector. This new guidance clearly sets out the legal responsibilities of social and private sector landlords to their tenants and the serious health risks that damp and mould pose.

The government is clear that damp and mould should not be dismissed as a ‘lifestyle choice’ and that action to remove pervasive damp and mould must be taken by landlords. The guidance makes clear that it is the responsibility of landlords to identify the underlying causes of damp and mould – such as structural issues or inadequate ventilation – and to find long term solutions.

The guidance also sets out how living in a home with damp and mould can significantly affect the physical and mental health of tenants and outlines how people with certain health conditions, children and older adults are at greater risk of more severe health impacts.

See also:
– Damp and Mould Guidance | (almshouses.org)
– Almshouse Gazette (almshouses.org)

posted 13 September 2023

Planning Update from Panel Consultants Robinson & Hall

Panel Consultants Robinson and Hall have sent the Association important information regarding the Government consultation on proposed changes of use for selected categories of development, including changes to residential from agricultural buildings and buildings within the commercial, business and service use classes. Consultation closes 25 September 2023.

Changes ahead in the world of planning

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is running a consultation until 25th September 2023 on a proposal to further relax Permitted Development Rights for selected categories of development.

The Government is looking to ensure that the planning system is efficient, effective, responsive and delivers beautiful and well-designed development. This consultation requests views on proposals designed to promote the delivery of well-designed development and support housing delivery, the agricultural sector and economic growth.

Abel Bunu, Principal Planner at Robinson & Hall lists some of the main highlights in the consultation paper:

Change of use of buildings within the commercial, business and service use class to residential use (MA)

  • Either double the current permitted floor space of 1,500 sq m to 3,000 sq m or remove the limit all together.
  • Proposal to remove the requirement for the property to be empty for three months before application.
  • Widen the scope for commercial conversions to include the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and National Parks.

Agricultural buildings to houses (Class Q)

  • Double the maximum number of dwellings from five to ten.
  • Increase the maximum floor space from 865 sq m to 1,000 sq m. 
  • Allow for single storey rear extensions to be created.
  • Allow work to take place in conservation areas, AONB and National Parks.
  • To be extended to former agricultural buildings that are no longer on an established agricultural unit or to buildings that are not used solely for agricultural purposes.

Agricultural buildings to a flexible commercial use (Class R)

  • Extend these rights to include outdoor sports, recreation and fitness, e.g. paintballing but not motor sports.
  • The rights might extend to all B2 (general industrial uses) to only allow processing of raw goods produced on the site and to be sold on the site, excluding livestock.
  • Proposal to double the maximum floorspace from 500 sq m to 1,000 sq m and allow for multiple uses at the same time.
  • Possible extension of rights to equestrian or forestry buildings.

Agricultural development on land over 5 hectares (Part 6, Class A)

  • Extended barns could increase in size from 1,000 sq m to 1,500 sq m.
  • New buildings would still be limited to 1,000 sq m. 

Agricultural development on land below 5 hectares (Part 6, Class B)

  • Existing barns to be extended by 25% with an overall limit of 1,250 sq m.
  • Extensions to the cubic content of the original barn to increase by 25%.

Please note that the above list is not exhaustive.

Abel comments “As usual, we expect that if the proposed changes succeed, they will come with a raft of qualifying criteria to be satisfied before enjoying the Permitted Development Rights. Nevertheless, the additional flexibility offered would increase the opportunities for development of agricultural.”

Responses to this consultation can be sent via the online link (https://consult.levellingup.gov.uk/planning-development-management/permitted-development-rights-consultation) or via email to PDRconsultationsummer2023@levellingup.gov.uk

Please note that local planning authorities have the right to withdraw Permitted Development Rights and so it is important to act quickly before this happens.

If you would like more information on the above or would like to find out how Robinson & Hall’s Planning & Development team can help you take advantage of the changes being introduced to the planning system, please contact Abel on 01234 362891 or email ab@robinsonandhall.co.uk

posted 13 September 2023

RAAC in almshouses – what to look out for

You will undoubtedly have seen a lot in the news recently about “crumbling concrete” in schools and the current measures being taken to identify similar situations and the closure of schools on safety grounds.

The issue first came to light following the collapse of a roof in a school in 2017 and another at Singlewell Primary School in Kent in 2018. Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was predominantly used in schools but was also used in other public buildings such as hospitals and libraries from the 1950s up until the 1990s.

What is RAAC?  

RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete. The Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) has noted that: ‘Although called “concrete”, RAAC is very different from traditional concrete and, because of the way in which it was made, much weaker. …..RAAC was used in schools, colleges and other building construction from the 1950s until the mid-1990s. It may, therefore, be found in any school and college building (educational and ancillary) that was either built or modified in this time period. ….RAAC has been found in a wide range of buildings, not all of which are still in the public sector.’

The main current problem is where the material was used in plank form for flat roof decks; and the areas of concern are mainly large flat roofs built between the 1960s to 1980s; although RAAC was also occasionally used in floors and walls.

Is this a problem that could affect almshouses?

This type of construction is unlikely to be found in the majority of almshouse properties. It was not widely used for domestic construction and, whilst there are a number of almshouse buildings which were constructed between the 1950s and the mid-1990s with flat roofs, the most likely material for these is timber, although more standard reinforced concrete was also fairly often used.

almshouse with a flat roof

The most likely possible use would be for buildings with large span flat roofs such as community halls, boardrooms, communal kitchens, scooter stores, boiler rooms, laundries, bin stores, garages etc. Where these exist and do have flat roofs, charities would be advised to take some steps to try and identify the material used in the construction of the roof deck.

Identifying RAAC

In many cases, checking to see if RAAC has been used should be straight forward – timber joists or metal truss beams are easily identifiable.

Occasionally charities may have original construction drawings available. Where this is the case, various trade names – Siporex, Durox, Celcon, Hebel and Ytong all manufactured RAAC panels, although it is also very common for substitutions in materials to have been made after drawings were completed, so this is not a definitive way of telling whether RAAC is actually present.

Concrete roof decks are sometimes visible although fairly often the ceilings will make identification difficult. In many cases ceilings will be suspended – either plasterboard or lay-in grid, concealed grid type or fine wood boards. In some cases there will be no access hatch and, therefore, some destructive opening up would be needed in order to even view the roof deck. This this should never be done without first checking for the presence of asbestos (charities with large common areas should have an asbestos register in place anyway, although this may not have identified all areas).

Lay-in grid ceilings can be lifted although this sometimes results in damage to tiles.

A typical lay-in grid suspended ceiling, easy enough to lift
Fine wood boarded ceiling, completely conceals roof structure

RAAC is usually visually identifiable although not always and sometimes some further minor destructive testing will be needed.

What if RAAC is present?

In the unlikely event that a charity does have RAAC in its roof structure, the area concerned should be isolated until further action can be taken. There are a number of repair methods available from providing additional supports to complete replacement; the location, condition and use of the panels will determine which is the most appropriate solution.

Conclusion

The majority of almshouses are unlikely to have an issue with RAAC, however, if your buildings were constructed between the 1950s and the mid-1990s and you have large flat roofs in buildings such as community halls, boardrooms or laundries etc. you should take steps to identify the roof construction. If you need further advice you should consult a Chartered Building Surveyor or Structural Engineer to carry out a more detailed inspection.

Contributed by Panel Consultant:
Tim Richardson MCIAT MCIOB MSAI MRICS; Chartered Architectural Technologist, Chartered Construction Manager, Chartered Building Surveyor, CIAT-Accredited Conservationist; Quinquennial Inspections Limited; Email: info@timothyrichardson.co.uk
Tel: 0121 471 1478

posted 5 September 2023

Heritage almshouses throw open their doors

England’s largest festival of history and culture!

The country’s largest Heritage Open Days festival returns with a packed programme of FREE events, unwrapping England’s history of creativity and this September almshouses from all over England are taking part.

It’s wonderful to see so many member charities participating – this event not only provides an excellent opportunity for almshouses to share their rich historical backgrounds but also helps people understand their significant role in society.

The Heritage Open Days Festival is a fantastic platform for showcasing the heritage and stories of almshouses and contributes to the celebration of community spirit and the sharing of captivating narratives and anecdotes. It’s a great way for people to connect with their local history and appreciate the valuable contributions almshouses have made to their communities over hundreds of years.

To find our more, please click in the links below:

We are sure the Festival will be a great success and hope many people take the opportunity to visit and learn more about these cherished almshouses during this year’s Festival, which runs until September 17th. It’s a valuable initiative that fosters appreciation for history and the importance of preserving our cultural heritage.

posted 4 September 2023

Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill 2022-23: Affordable Housing and the Infrastructure Levy

This flagship item of legislation is continuing to progress its way slowly through Parliament and is currently at the Report Stage in House of Lords, prior to its 3rd Reading.

This legislation will have a wide ranging impact across England and Wales.  One of the biggest changes will be to Community Infrastructure Levy, which will be retained by Greater London and Wales, but the rest of England will have a new Infrastructure Levy system, which will be non-negotiable and set locally. It will also eventually replace s.106 contributions.

Local Authorities must provide an exemption for Charities, where they would be liable to pay for the development or if the building or structure is to wholly or mainly used for a charitable purpose. They may also provide full or partial exemptions for institutions established for charitable purposes.

The Levy itself can be used for a wider range of “infrastructure” including

(a) roads and other transport facilities, (b) flood defences, (c) schools and other educational facilities, (d) medical facilities, (e) sporting and recreational facilities, (f) open spaces,  (g) affordable housing, (h) facilities and equipment for emergency and rescue services, (i) facilities and spaces which— (i) preserve or improve the natural environment, or (ii) enable or facilitate enjoyment of the natural environment, and (j) facilities and spaces for the mitigation of, and adaption to, climate change.

There may well be scope for further exploration as the definition of affordable housing is given as:

“affordable housing” means— (a) social housing within the meaning of Part 2 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, and (b) any other description of housing that IL regulations may specify.

This is an very important clause, as it could well allow almshouses, as community housing to be considered as “affordable housing” for the purposes of receiving funding from the Infrastructure Levy.  The Infrastructure Levy regulations will be made by Statutory Instrument.

The Almshouse Association (with your support) has already been active (see Questions to Parliament ) in trying to get this definition widened for s.106 funding. The latest position from Government is indicating that they wish to leave Local Authorities to decide, however we will push for a clear national position. 

P&G update: 22.08.23

Policy and Governance Update – Qualification for those operating Social Housing

We met with DLUC development team this week who are working on the requirements for qualification of those operating Social Housing following the Social Housing and Regeneration Act 2023.

There are two main areas requiring qualification identified in the Act. Those providing leadership and those providing housing management within an organisation or associated organisation. These are identified within the Act identified as Senior Housing Manager (Level 4) who carries out a series of duties that include: customer service, complaints, lettings, repairs etc and a Senior Housing Executive who has a strategic role (Level 5) more likely to be the CEO or equivalent. Both require a qualification (though this is yet to be defined).

In these discussions we have set out the case that such requirements on trustees would be detrimental to the appointment of and retention of almshouse charity trustees. We have made the case that trustees already have a personal responsibility to the charity and the effective and safe running of the almshouses. We further discussed a typical almshouse structure whereby the “management” may be subcontracted to a part time clerk or firm of surveyors firm and discussed how the requirement for Senior Housing Manager qualifications would work in such circumstances.

It is our view that a requirement for trustees to gain a qualification would be beyond reasonable expectations and that the almshouse model, as a charity structure, should be exempt from this aspect of the legislation.

posted 22 August 2023

STOP PRESS – Community housing at heart of Govt housebuilding announcement

On 24 July 2023, both the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and the Housing & Levelling Up Secretary, Michael Gove gave commitments to meet the Conservative Government’s target of building 1 million new homes over the course of the current Parliament.

For almshouses, there were a number of specific points to note within these announcements, especially the focus on a more locally and community driven approach to new housebuilding.

  1. “Development should proceed on sites that are adopted in a local plan with full input from the local community, unless there are strong reasons why it cannot.”
  2. “Better use should be made of small pockets of brownfield land by being more permissive, so more homes can be built more quickly, where and how it makes sense, giving more confidence and certainty to SME builders.”
  3. Consultation on Permitted Development Rights, to convert redundant commercial properties in town and city centres to residential.
  4. Establishing the Office for Place in Stoke-on-Trent, a new body to lead a design revolution, ensuring beautiful new homes are built according to a simple design code supported by local people. The Office for Place will support residents to demand what they find beautiful from developers – ensuring every local place is built to reflect the individual local character and beauty of every community across the country.
  5. £800 million allocated from the Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land fund to unlock.

Almshouses have a proud track record of providing focused community housing in line with local needs and as such the announcement could provide greater scope and opportunities for new almshouses.

The Almshouse Association will be carrying out a Census of our member Almshouse Charities this autumn and the information you provide will be key to helping us to help you, by raising awareness of the good work you do for your local communities with Members of Parliament, Local Councils and Councillors.

posted 10 August 2023

P&G update: 8.8.23 Charity Investments

The Charity Commission has updated guidance on charities and investments.

Published on 1st August 2023, the guidance (known as CC14) has been redesigned to offer greater clarity and to give trustees confidence to make investment decisions that are right for their charity.

The language used in the guidance is clearer and the structure has been updated so that it is shorter and easier to use, and trustees can find the information they need more quickly.

As discussion continues within the sector about charities’ ability to account for factors such as the environmental impact of investments, the guidance makes clearer that trustees have discretion to choose what is best in their circumstances and have a range of investment options open to them – provided they ultimately further the charity’s purposes.

The refreshed guidance follows a Commission ‘call for information’ and consultation on financial investment and reflects a significant High Court judgment on charity trustees’ investment duties (the ‘Butler-Sloss’ case). Trustees can have confidence in the decisions they make when following the guidance, knowing it is up to date and properly reflects the relevant law.

The guidance:

  • includes examples of various issues which may be relevant for trustees to consider when making investment decisions, such as the potential for an investment to conflict with the purposes of the charity, or the reputational impact of an investment decision.
  • lists steps trustees ‘must’ take to be compliant with the law and those trustees ‘should’ do which are strongly recommended as best practice but not legally required.
  • explains that acting in the best interests of a charity is about ensuring that above all else any decision furthers its purposes. It also warns trustees to not allow personal motives, opinions, or interests to affect the decisions they make.
  • incorporates previously separate guidance on social investment and no longer uses terminology that could get in the way of trustees’ understanding, such as ‘ethical investment’, ‘mixed motive investment’ and ‘programme related investment’.

The examples featured in the guidance are designed to help trustees identify the factors that are relevant to their own charity’s situation and then use these to determine how to approach their investment decisions. This should make it easier for trustees to apply the guidance correctly and feel able to justify that the decisions they take are in their charity’s best interests.

posted 8 August 2023

The Almshouse Association 72nd AGM 2023

Our seventy-second AGM took take place on 15 June 2023 at One Great George Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3AA, prior to the start of Member Day 2023.

Our outgoing Chair Elizabeth Fathi reflected on 2022 and her five years as Chair of the Association. This was followed by acceptance of the Minutes of the seventy-first Almshouse Association 2022 AGM  held on Wednesday 15 June 2022 at Grand Station, Sun Street, Wolverhampton.

Board members, John Broughton, Elizabeth Fathi, Willie Hartley Russell and Tricia Scouller had served 3 years in their current trustee tenures and sought re-appointment, which was voted on and seconded by members; all were re-appointed. Willie Hartley Russell was confirmed as the new Chairman of The Association.

Simon Ling, Honorary Treasurer, then presented the 2022 financial accounts which were adopted and Simon confirmed the re-appointment of Auditors, Buzzacott LLP.

The Almshouse Association Accounts and Annual Report 2022 can be downloaded here. (Hard copies were presented to all AGM delegates on 14 June 2023; main member contacts of the Association will be receiving their hard copy of the Annual Report with the summer Gazette mailing.)

New Chairman, Willie Hartley Russell presents outgoing Chair, Elizabeth Fathi will a bouquet.

An address from the new Chairman, Willie Hartley Russell followed; he shared his five year chairmanship plan with delegates which focuses on the following five areas: legislation and regulation, financial stability and fundraising, Billingbear Lodge, research and 2023/2029 Strategy.

“There is a need to ensure that the almshouse model that has flourished for the last 1000 years, remains as relevant today as it always has been.”

Willie Hartley Russell, Chairman of The Almshouse Association

The AGM concluded with an update on strategic goals from Association CEO Nick Phillips and a presentation to the outgoing Chair, Elizabeth Fathi.

Nick gave his and the teams personal thanks to Elizabeth Fathi for her vision, ambition and encouragement to “challenge ourselves to think further and greater for the Association and the almshouse movement”. We have found it hugely stimulating to have Elizabeth Fathi as our Chair. Elizabeth led the association to think beyond the shores of Great Britain, engaging with our European partners.

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posted 3 August 2023