They are more than a request for a wider front door. [1]
Establish the required category first
London Plan D7 expects at least 10% of new-build dwellings to meet M4(3), with the remaining dwellings meeting M4(2), within the policy's stated scope and qualifications. Confirm the agreed dwelling schedule and planning conditions before detailed design. Do not assume that an informal description such as “accessible flat” identifies the correct category. [1]
National policy and building regulations perform different roles. The NPPF published on 17 August 2026 addresses accessible housing through policy HO5, including plan-making expectations. That policy should not be treated as a replacement for checking London's D7, the local plan and the conditions on the particular permission. [2] [1]
Accessible, adaptable and wheelchair-user are not synonyms
M4(2) is intended to provide accessible and adaptable accommodation. M4(3) is the wheelchair-user category and distinguishes homes that are wheelchair adaptable from those fitted out as wheelchair accessible. London policy relates the accessible form to circumstances where the authority has the relevant allocation or nomination role. [1]
Agree which homes fall within each category and what must be installed at completion. A future intention to make adaptations is not a substitute for delivering the category required by the permission. Equally, do not demand the fully fitted accessible form where the approved requirement is the adaptable form without checking the brief. [1]
Check the route as well as the room
Assess the journey from the site entrance through any shared spaces and into the dwelling. The internal layout, circulation, sanitary accommodation and shared access need to work together. London policy also addresses how the required standard applies to common parts serving homes in different categories. [1]
For the initial review, ask the designer to mark the access category on every plan and demonstrate it through dimensioned layouts. This helps expose conflicts with structural elements, service cupboards or the proposed furniture arrangement before the design is priced.
Small buildings are not automatically exempt
D7 recognises particular circumstances involving small infill sites, flats above existing premises and similar development. Its guidance allows consideration of exceptions where lift access is not provided in blocks of four storeys or fewer, with distinctions between ground-floor and other dwellings. This is a case-specific planning judgment, not a blanket exemption for every small development. [1]
Record any agreed exception in the planning documentation. A designer's assumption that a lift is too difficult or expensive does not itself amend an approved accessibility condition. [1]
Keep area and compliance checks separate
The Nationally Described Space Standard does not establish wheelchair-user compliance on its own. It acknowledges that wheelchair-user dwellings can require additional area. Therefore, do not settle the unit count by applying the smallest standard floor area to every home and leaving accessibility until later. [3]
Before construction, coordinate the approved categories, detailed layouts and building control submission. The draft replacement London Plan may change future policy, but it was not adopted when checked on 2 October 2026. [4] [5]