Although many Care in the Community residents live in residential and nursing homes, an increasing number of people, for example, those being relocated from long-stay institutions, are being placed in accommodation with support. This policy should be read in conjunction with policy RES 7: Change of Use of Dwellings.

The distinguishing features of supported accommodation include:

1. The residents are subject to supervised care packages tailored towards their individual needs funded or provided by the Social Work Department.

2. The residents are usually discharged patients from hospital or other institution, although some may already be in the community.

3. The residents live as a household, offering mutual support.

4. The Social Work Department monitors the service either through line or contract management (see Definition).

Supported accommodation, where usually less than 10 residents are cared for by staff operating on a rota system or on call, depending on the nature of the support required, can be either part of a new build scheme or in existing housing.

NEW BUILD

Purpose-built supported accommodation normally consists of a mix of self-contained flats or bedsits for residents, shared communal facilities and 24-hour staff accommodation of bedrooms and offices. Facilities of this nature are considered to be within Class 8 (Residential Institutions) of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1997.

New developments of self-contained units may be promoted that will not include communal facilities or on-site support accommodation, such as staff rooms. Facilities of this type will be considered to be no different from mainstream housing and will, therefore, lie within Class 9 (Houses).

New-build facilities will always require planning permission.

EXISTING HOUSE

In the core and cluster model, residents, in groups of two or three, live independently in the cluster flats, supported by nearby staff in the core unit, which usually provides an office, meeting rooms and sleep-over space for staff. The core flat, which is in effect an office, will usually have been in residential use and planning permission will be required for the change of use to an office for community care project.

If the supported accommodation is being provided in a house, then planning permission may be required, depending on the number of residents. If there are more than five residents, including resident staff, in a dwelling house (see Definition), then the use will no longer remain within Class 9 (Houses) and planning permission for the change of use will be required. Staff working shifts in the property will not be considered as residents, in determining whether planning permission is required.

If the property is a flat (see Definition), planning permission will be required for a change of use to supported accommodation, if there are more than three unrelated persons, including any resident staff (see Definition), in the flat. As in the situation with houses, staff working shifts are not considered resident.

Where change of use is involved, supported accommodation is considered to be sui generis, i.e. falling outwith any Class in the Use Classes Order.

Proposals should comply with all the following criteria:

1. NEW BUILD

Locational Criteria

(i) Development Policy Principles

Supported accommodation should be sited in areas designated Residential and should, in general, avoid proximity to areas designated Industry and Business.

 

(ii) Bad Neighbours

Sites near or adjacent to bad neighbours, such as noisy or dirty industries, or other non-compatible uses, are unlikely to be successful, as they would provide an unsatisfactory environment for residents.

 

(iii) Proximity to Services

Sites should be accessible by public transport and ideally they should also be close to local facilities such as shops, libraries and parks, to allow residents access to the wider community.

Design Criteria

Normal standards for residential developments apply. These include the following:

(ii) Barrier Free Access

In purpose-built accommodation, barrier free access should be provided to all parts of the building (see policy DES 9: Barrier Free Access and refer to the Building Regulations).

 

(iii) Privacy

 

Supported accommodation should meet the standards for residential development set out in policy RES 2: Residential Site Layouts.

(iv) Daylighting

 

Supported accommodation should meet residential standards of daylighting in all habitable rooms. Roof lights, as the sole provision of daylight to habitable rooms, will not be acceptable.

(v) Parking

 

Care in the Community (Supported Accommodation) will be expected to meet the appropriate car parking guidelines set out in policy TRANS 4: Vehicle Parking Guidelines.

2. CONVERSIONS/CHANGES OF USE

The change of use of a dwelling to provide Supported Accommodation will be subject to policy RES 7. To ensure the protection of residential amenity, permission will only be granted for supported accommodation if, within a given street or street block, the proportion of residential properties in non-mainstream residential use does not exceed 5% of the total number of dwellings in that street. Within the West End, the proportion could rise to 10% (see Map on RES 13).

Core flats in a tenement or a multi-storey block should be on the ground or lowest floor, ideally with their own entrance, to protect residential amenity in the building.

3. PLANNING CONDITIONS

Conditions may be applied to both new build schemes and changes of use:

(i) to limit the number of residents;

 

(ii) to restrict any movement within Class 8 (Residential Institutions) or Class 2 (Financial, Professional and Other Services);

 

(iii) to ensure a return to residential use of the core flat or supported accommodation, if the care in the community use ceases; and

 

(iv) to grant personal consent to the applicant alone.

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

Management by an external agency such as housing association or voluntary organisation.

RESIDENT STAFF

Staff who live with the residents as a single household, who have the accommodation as their principal home and are registered at that address in the Voters Roll.

DWELLING HOUSE

Does not include a building containing one or more flats, or a flat contained within such a building.

(Source: The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)(Scotland) Order 1992).

FLAT 

A separate and self-contained set of premises, whether or not on the same floor, and forming part of a building from some other part of which it is divided horizontally.

HABITABLE ROOMS

All rooms designed for living, eating and sleeping.

NON-MAINSTREAM RESIDENTIAL USE

Any use, other than a mainstream dwelling, including multiple occupancies, institutions and offices, that is made of a property whose original purpose was as a dwelling unit for families or individuals.