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Accessibility of the City and Services for Older People

Toilets - We welcome the re-opening and upgrading of many public toilets. Longer opening hours are still needed.

Mobility and Access

• Many of us have mobility and other health issues which do not qualify us for disabled badges, but seriously limit our mobility, access and engagement.
• We need seats, fewer pavement obstacles,
• Seats are needed in North Laines, along central sea front ( from Brighton Pier to West pier). Bench with handrails needed - Coldean 39 Acres. ( This was agreed but never implemented).
• Access to the beach needed-boarded or otherwise, to enable those with mobility problems, in wheelchairs or with buggies to access the beach. This is the City’s greatest asset and so many are excluded.
• Shops - need continued campaign for seating, toilets, staffed tills and human contact with staff who have understanding/ training. We welcome the Age Friendly City project, .but council needs to lead better by example
• Safe pavements - tree roots & street furniture force many to walk on roads.
• Shared lanes with cyclists esp. e-bikes and scooters are especially dangerous for older people. More enforcement needed for cyclists ignoring traffic signals/highway codes.
• We need help to be offered help at Council Wilson Ave (BN2 5PA) refuse tip, as many can not negotiate the stairs. Do we need to book in a visit City Clean on 01273 292929?
• Collections from houses of bulky items - we often can't put them outside!
• Adult social care information - hard to understand/ navigate what help and services may be available or entitled to.
• We need more joined up council services so we don’t have to keep repeating the same story or being passed around departments. Joined up wth NHS too.

Digital exclusion affecting many older people

• Inaccessibility of Services by calling in - too minimal reception/ face to face help - or to talk on phone is made difficult - Many older people need face to face and phone contact. Not just through IT, paper. People helpful when/if do get through. Need access to understanding services available
  DWP state pensioners set to be handed two devices for homes from Labour, as part of The Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund is part of Labour Party government's Plan for Change (09:44, 15 Aug 2025). More Info
• Help is available for IT access but needs greater publicity re how to access it, and needs alternative ways of contacting services! Some people just cant face having to learn to fit in with an excluding society.
• We need help from a person, not just training for us to use it
• Needs consideration of people who don’t qualify for blue badges but have mobility or other health difficulties
• Visitor permits are really hard to apply for on-line - HOW?
• Parking permits hard to apply for - have to upload documents, then wrong size etc. Need to be able to take them in. Security concerns re amount of info held for parking permits. This appears to have improved recently for on line applications, but no encouragement of application in Council reception areas or by post. These alternatives need promoting.
• Visitor permits only for 24 hours - need shorter cheaper ones- s expensive, longer visitor permits stop people ‘popping in’ - increasing isolation.
• Parking charges and fees relentlessly high. We Welcome revision of these, at least in car parks.

IT Technology Service Failures

Lets be frank - the only thing we have about 5G is the digit FIVE and the price tag. Cell-net coverage is shameful disgrace in so-called 'Silicon Beach' Brighton.
However, the side effect of 'Let go mobile' is that it assume you have a FUNCTIONAL internet connection, it does not need to be FAST like in Europe, but functional.
Which means, you dont have access to the alleged 'Service Provision' and thus digitally excluded.

So if the App is not working, because there is no coverage, and the Pay-By-Phone 0303 number does not recognise your card number and hangs up - is that a Service?
Add on top of that Older people face new technology challenges - none of this is road tested by older people, they are just victims of it; so they are not only digitally excluded, but victimised.
Here are some common issues:

• Transport and Parking are cheaper tickets if on-line.
  Need phones/apps to park
  Need cellnet coverage to Pay via the App
  Need the automated Pay-By-Phone to recognise your debit card number and "Pressing Hash to Continue" does not cut you off
• Parking by Smart phone only - For Older people without, or who can’t manage, phones & poorer. This increases reluctance to go out, increases isolation and exclusion We welcome the return of some pay by card meters. This needs extending to all areas. We would like involvement in review of this.

Social Oppression

So what this means is, you are victimizing older people, discouraging them from parking, from going out, from socializing as they cant jump thru the ever-changing hoops presents designed to obstruct them, forcing them to stay at home. Now scared to go out because of some other 'modern day' social aggression/oppression, they become socially excluded.
Now invisible, imprisoned in their home, thier care costs go up because they are no longer Independently Living, and it's their fault for that as well.
This is at odds with causes such as the Aging Well Festival that Impact Initiatives advocate for example.
Its not just the elderly that fall victim, there are others that maybe cognitively challenged, I would imagine a mother on the way to work dropping her kids off a child care could face a problem, or visiting your dentist or GP. So Service Failure becomes a fund-raising tool as fines increase because the service won't accept payment.
Given that perception, why leave the house - its just too much trouble. See Social Isolation below

Public Transport

• We welcome many considerations about accessibility issues on B&H buses. Also continued opening of rail ticket offices.
• Need shorter bus stop intervals - Older people have mobility issues. Bus stop intervals are reduced in London Road so it can be a bit of a hunt finding the right bus stop for the right bus.
• Need bus along seafront. Older people, and other with mobility issues are excluded from vibrant hubs of central seafront areas
• Too long distances between bus stops, especially from Old Steine to St. Peters Church- renders North Laines inaccessible. Also Churchill Sq to Waitrose on Western Rd renders shops along that stretch inaccessible.
• Concern about new seafront cycle paths reducing access by car and permanently ruling it out as a bus route?
• More beach access for people with mobility problems needs addressing urgently if a City promoting diversity and equalities. Whilst there has been some recent additions of Wheel Chair Access to the beach as part of the Black Rock rejuvenation project, and to some extent in Hove - this is hit and miss.
• Door to door community transport eg for shopping is good, but very limited in terms of frequency and destinations.
• Free bus pass rule change for over 70s with new checks introduced. The over-70s bus pass scheme is managed by local councils, so rules can vary depending on where you live - but the basics will remain the same in 2025, except... (09:04, 14 Aug 2025) More Info

Social Isolation

• A huge issue for older people in our City - figures/stats of people living alone. People reporting isolation
• Needs continued attention- Accessibility issues mentioned above impact to exacerbate isolation- also closely linked to housing and community development, health & transport issues.
• All are important factors as well as access to group activity opportunities.
• Isolation of those with highest level needs and their carers is widespread- lack of day services, carer support/ respite - needs continued attention.

Adult Social Care

• Impact of strategy now will affect future generations of Older People. Need Council to think long term. Younger people & potential carers not being able to afford to live in Brighton and Hove, with a rising older population.
• Are services for older people being sidelined or further privatised? Emphasis on competing needs of other groups of vulnerable people?
• What is happening with Knoll House?- was built as a hub for older people in older people’s estate. Is it still for older people. Closed v. suddenly without consultation. Now to re open but not for older people.
• Dementia beds at Ireland Lodge proposed for closure through budget. To reopen but not for older people. No public consultation
• Craven Vale - day centre resource closed. How many more Resource Centre are set to close with no Plan-B?
• Concern around budget - not filling vacant posts in in-house home care services.
• Once lost we will have difficulty regaining these council run services. Dangers of short sighted commissioning- Lose all council run services allows less competition Private sector can command their price. ‘Value for money’ in short term can erode long term resilience of local services, and abilty to respond to changing demographics/ needs.OPC members want council run, not for profit services too. Council could be more innovative about how to bring money in by running quality services for private payers as well as funded older people, rather than just privatising everything .
• Difficulties navigating / understanding the systems & financial implications of support options. Support needed for people to understand and navigate systems including full cost payers.
• Still having to repeat the same things and history to many different professional= all doing own ‘triaging’. All protecting hospital beds. Due to Dire straits of Health services- guard against a takeover by Health just focussed on clearing beds/ pressures in NHS. Need focus on quality of life, prevention, reducing isolation & Ageing Well. Discharging to ‘micro environments’. (concerns voiced about further privatisation in commissioning- ‘cherry picking’ less complex cases rather than NHS investment).
• Building communities, reducing isolation and contact without expecting communities to support on purely voluntary basis.
• Need assurance of quality of available care services-especially as CQC withdrawing from frequency of site visits.
• Serious Lack of Home Care Packages-people waiting weeks
• Unpaid carer support/ respite/ relief needed. See Carers Hub, the carers centre and Where to get support for carers.
• Workforce strategy needed- recruitment- understand serious shortages and difficulty in recruitment- need valuing, promotion as a career, fair pay- especially after covid experience of workers. Liaison with Trade Unions needed by council and care providers.
• Shortage of reasonably priced \care services esp Care Homes.
  How often are Local Authorities (LA) paying over agreed maximum fees for the LA to pay? What are the maximums we pay currently? National issues of high care costs reflected here? ( private payers supporting LA funded places??).
  Value for Money assessments to be also around staff pay, terms and conditions, and Ageing well- social capital.
  We want Not-for-Profit and Council run services wherever possible (as per ruling group manifesto).
  But large American companies are buying up care homes run by the private sector.
  Why is nobody holding private equity to account? Public services for people not profit?
  See
  Investors are making a fortune from UK healthcare,
  Care home chain Care UK sold to US,
  Care belongs in public ownership
• Social Care to link and promote reduction of Social Isolation. Including council tackling causes/ contributory factors of isolation- some mentioned above. Impact of loss of day services with door to door transport needs review.

NHS

• Real concerns of continuous erosion of NHS services over recent years. Lack of beds. Lack of funding, staff vacancies - undignified experiences especially in A and E.
• Expediting hospital discharge too much of a pre occupation. Leads to readmissions, discharge to carers who are unprepared/ not enough home care once home.
• Amalgamation of Strategic Health Authorities with E and W Sussex in danger of Brighton and Hove resident needs being overlooked. Eg of closure of dementia beds at Mill View Hospital, saying we can go to Uckfield or Worthing(!)We welcome our inclusion on Health Overview Scrutiny Committee - need genuine voice/ listening.
• An ageing population, people living longer often quoted as being responsible for the problems and crisis in the NHS.
• Lack of access to GPS
• IT or phone access to GP appointments. health services, prescriptions -very difficult for many older people, especially those without IT access.
• Good end of life service through local hospices for people with cancer, but desperately in need of funding and needs extension to people with other conditions.
• Hearing Aids that work - New research finds link between hearing aids and dementia - New research suggests that using a hearing aid before the age of 70 can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia. More Info (21 August 2025 10:19)
• First drug to slow down progress of type 1 diabetes gets approval - when will it be available? More Info (15/08/25)

Housing

• Increasing numbers of older renters. But hard to get places to rent for older people. Discrimination.
• Older People often want to downsize but don’t want to move from their communities. Need mixed housing in local areas to enable downsizing. Need accessible housing in new builds.
• Mixed and accessible housing is needed in communities so older people can downsize within their own community early enough, (it was agreed there is lack of support and information )prior to housing becoming unsuitable.
• Encouragement to consider a move before crisis- have to be opportunities. Resilience planning in housing.
• Need opportunities to reduce isolation in communities.
• Affordable housing for older people and for younger members of our families. If younger members can not stay in the City, this impacts on our isolation, also potentially longer term on demand for social care.
• Mixed accessible accommodation across generations is welcome as well as some specifically for older people. Accommodation for older people near facilities, shops and communities.
• Enough proportions in the City of cheaper, central, sheltered accommodation are needed where we still have access to facilities, services and city.
• All new builds need to be accessible. Attendees cited concerns raised from previous meetings such as power points not at ground level, storage for mobility scooters, accessible bathrooms.
• Mixed housing that meets the needs in the city: of its residents whether older people, families or young, supporting community, and overall design optics. Consistency of quality of design, integrated planning and balancing this with the human need for a pleasing environment and respect for our green spaces and our natural environment … all agreed to be vital..
• Concern was raised) around exacerbation of isolation of older people in high rise and how small ground floor units are preferable for a number of reasons: attendees raising concerns about the negative impacts on health from some developments. A robust Equalities Impact Assessment(EIA) of the City Plan was agreed to be essential. OPC are happy to be consulted on the EIA.
• Don’t build high rise without building communities. Learn from negative social impact of high rise in 1960s and 70s.
• Impact of student accommodation with no council tax coming in from landlords?? Adding to pressure on council budgets.? Press government to charge landlords. Maybe shouldn’t allow continuous university expansion.
• Attendees, while acknowledging the need for affordable housing, commented the City feels ‘full’ without enough infrastructure to support an ever-increasing population eg GP’s. Others commented on the immense need for affordable housing to keep younger people and key workers in the city.
• It was a moot point attendees discussed and agreed on that publicised monitoring and reviews were crucial and need to be thoroughly carried out to see if objectives of plans have been met.
• More than 11,000 no-fault bailiff evictions in past year. More Info (16/08/25)
• Up to 40,000 homes to be built on disused railway land. More Info(27/08/25)
  However in Brighton. Brighton & Hove City Council’s City Plan Part 1 sets an ambitious target of 13,200 new homes by 2030 More Info More Info
  Forward-Looking Housing Need Projection A more recent analysis by planning consultancy Marrons, published in February 2025, indicates that the city will need approximately 37,400 new homes by 2040 (averaging roughly 2,498 homes per year) More Info This is a significantly higher figure than the City Plan’s target for 2030 and reflects updated population data and projections. In fact, Marrons notes that in 2024, actual completions reached around 1,075, which remains well below the scale required to meet the projected demand
  
  Key Large-Scale Development Projects
  City Plan Part 1 13,200 homes By 2030
  Marrons Housing Need Report 37,400 homes (≈ 2,498 per year) By 2040
  Preston Barracks (“The Big Build”) Redevelopment plans include 369 homes, 1,338 student bedrooms, a medical centre, academic building, shops, cafés, and other facilities 369 homes + student accommodation
  Brighton Marina – Outer Harbour Development A new district including 853 apartments (homes), plus cafés and restaurants, approved back in 2006—though progress has been slow 853 apartments (homes)
  New England Quarter When complete, this urban redevelopment will deliver at least 355 new homes, combining private and social housing 355 homes
  Toads Hole Valley Planning for development in this area includes up to 300 homes Up to 300 homes

  To date, 652 out of the 1,000 affordable homes target have either been delivered (346) or are in the planning pipeline (306).
  Delivery includes a mix of social rent (council-rented) and shared-ownership units, offering both rental and homeownership pathways for lower-income households.
  Assuming approval and commencement, the Sackville Road scheme will nearly double what has already been delivered by HfBH.

  
  In Brighton & Hove, "affordable housing" typically refers to: Affordable Rent or Social Rent: lower-than-market rents provided by housing associations. Affordable homes through Shared Ownership in Brighton & Hove currently range from around £78,000 to £417,000, depending on the share and development. Monthly costs can vary but generally fall between £1,000 and £1,600, combining mortgage, rent, and service charges.
  
  Affordable rent is not affordable for many local families, since it requires well above the city’s median income.

Poverty

• There remains an illusion that most older people are well off. That we had free education, our own houses, good pensions. This is true of some. There are huge numbers- need more data here of older people in our city where this is not the case. Poverty is particularly, and disproportionately, an issue for older people with other protected characteristics. Poverty is also a bigger issue for older people before reaching state pension age.
• Poverty can arise suddenly when partners die.
• Concern about high costs of private care and diminishing Council/ Health care providers
• Lack of take up of pension credit for those entitled. It is the most under-claimed benefit. Needs promotion. Support/ financial reviews. May find people paying full cost for care actually entitled to more help.
• Employment opportunities diminish through health issues and discrimination/ awareness raising is needed to make reasonable adjustments
• Support WASPI women’s campaign
• Labour to raid savings of workers who die before pension age More Info (12/08/25)
• Campaign against withdrawal of winter fuel allowance exacerbating poverty for poorer Pensioners not on pension credit.
• Stereotyping of well off pensioners, enabling government attack/erosion of benefits/concessions to be campaigned against. here is clear, documented evidence that stereotypes of pensioners being well-off have influenced the political and media narrative in the UK—and contributed to efforts to reduce or restructure benefits. Public portrayal of older people as financially secure or owning assets seems to have emboldened policymakers to roll back universal entitlements, despite the well-documented financial insecurity many face.
  
  Many pensioners can’t afford to lose the winter fuel allowance The Guardian (Wed 31 Jul 2024 17.40 BST)
  Data is the key to supporting Britain’s poorest pensioners Financial Times (Aug 23 2024)
  
  Stereotypes of “frail” or “wealth-hoarding” pensioners foster ageism and justify benefit cuts: More Info,
  Ageing Better welcomes Committee’s recommendations to tackle ageism - More Info (19 Feb 2025)
  Stereotype: Older people are often portrayed as affluent, obscuring poverty among them; nevertheless, they contribute heavily.
  Written evidence submitted by The National Pensioners’ Convention (November 2023)
  Shift from universal to means-tested payment removed support from many, justified by stereotype of affluence. Guardian(), wikipedia
  Low-income pensioners risk Exclusion in Large Number; Stereotypes contributed to policy justification.
  1. 
     Parliamentary and Media Recognition of Stereotypes
     A Women and Equalities Select Committee report (2025) found clear evidence of harmful ageist stereotyping in UK media and policy discourse. It highlighted portrayals of older people as either frail, helpless or incompetent or conversely as “wealth-hoarding boomers.” Such framing, the report argued, helps justify cuts to concessions, pits generations against one another, and normalises ageist attitudes.
  2. Charitable and Advocacy Group Insights
     Written evidence from The National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) emphasizes that older people are often unfairly depicted as affluent homeowners “sitting at home taking money for nothing,” which obscures the reality that many are “asset-rich and cash-poor.” The NPC also noted that older individuals still contribute significantly to society—around £160 billion annually—through taxes, volunteering, caregiving, and more.
     The NPC further argued that such stereotyping contributes to the rationale behind policies like raising the state pension age or reducing benefits, under the false assumption that pensioners are uniformly well-off.
  3. Policy Moves and Campaign Reactions
     In July 2024, the government shifted the Winter Fuel Payment from a universal benefit to one means-tested, available only to pensioners receiving Pension Credit. This move removed the payment from around 10 million pensioners, many of whom were just above the eligibility threshold. The measure was widely criticized, particularly since some were labeled “wealthy” despite struggling to heat their homes. Commentators and campaigners have argued that this policy change was facilitated by the prevailing stereotype of affluent pensioners, which helped garner public and political support for the cuts.
  4. Impact on Low-Income Pensioners
     Charities and analysts have highlighted that this means-testing risks leaving many needy pensioners without crucial support. A Financial Times piece warned that 880,000 low-income pensioner households could miss out because they’re not claiming Pension Credit. It urged data-driven approaches to automatically identify and enroll those eligible.
     These findings suggest that stereotypes fueled policy shifts, and that stereotyping led to a reduction in safety nets—affecting the most vulnerable.