Item 12 - Mobility Scooter Guidance
West Dunbartonshire Council · 21 August 2024
Back to Housing & Communities Committee — 21 August 2024 and its agenda
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by the Chief Officer, Housing and Employability Housing and Communities Committee: 21 August 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: Draft West Dunbartonshire Council Mobility Scooter Guidance 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this report is to seek approval for the introduction of mobility scooter guidance and note the amendment to the tenancy agreement. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Housing and Communities Committee (i) Approve the Mobility Scooter Guidance attached as appendix of this report. 3. Background 3.1 The issue of mobility scooters being stored in communal entrances, hallways and binstores was flagged as a fire safety issue by both West Dunbartonshire Council Fire Risk Officer and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). 3.2 The Fire Scotland Act 2005 requires that fire risks in common areas should be assessed, and actions taken to reduce these risks, this guidance is therefore a response to this assessment. 3.3 Mobility scooters have been identified as a risk indoors if they are stored on escape routes, if there was a fire there is a likelihood that escape routes would become impassable due to smoke and heat putting residents at significant risk. This guidance therefore sets out where mobility scooters can and cannot be stored within residential properties in the Council’s ownership and acts to minimis health and wellbeing risks to our tenants. 4. Main Issues 4.1 There are 3 different categories of Mobility Scooters at present: - • Class 1 applies to manual wheelchairs. • Class 2 applies to machines designed for use on the pavement travelling at speed of up to 4mph (i.e., power wheelchairs). They may also be used on the road to cross from one pavement to another or where no pavement is available. • Class 3 applies to machines that can be used both on the ITEM 12
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pavement where, like class 2 vehicles, they are limited to 4mph, and on the road where they can travel up to 8mph. 4.2 The policy intention behind the proposed introduction of this guidance is not to remove scooters from disabled people, moreover it is to prevent unsafe storage and charging which presents an evidenced fire risk. 4.3 It is proposed that where no suitable charging areas are available at present, we are asking new tenants not to purchase or move into a new home with a class 3 scooter, and for current residents not to store these Class 3 scooters in communal areas. If a tenant is prescribed an electric wheelchair this will be a class 2 scooter, they are smaller and can be stored in their own homes more safely. The class 3 scooters which are usually purchased by individuals as a lifestyle choice are larger and therefore often cannot fit into tenant’s homes and there have been several incidences of these vehicles being left in communal corridors and bin stores etc. 4.4 There are currently only a handful of residents who have chosen to have a class 3. To ensure safety we have worked with those households and where it’s been possible external charging points have been used therefore are no longer stored internally removing and safety issues. 4.5 The SFRS under their Enforcement powers already inform residents that they should not store or charge scooters in any common parts of the building, i.e., hallways, staircases, communal areas. These areas would be a relevant premises and under enforcement guidance, should not have such items in them. They recommend it is good practice for our tenants to also receive home fire safety visits, so we have incorporated this into the guidance recommending tenants should request one and telling them how they can organise this. 4.6 Information days for sheltered residents were held on the 16th & 18th of April which SFRS attended to endorse the guidance and arrange any home fire safety visits. Some tenants attending had Class 2 scooters which they safely stored within their own homes, and some had larger Class 3 scooters where a safe external charging point had been provided for them, this option may not be suitable at all complexes, however. 4.7 There is also a sheltered housing leaflet which details specific info about each complex which now has a mobility scooter section included, this should be given to applicants so they can read and are fully informed regarding mobility scooter storage. The sheltered housing application form and offer checklist will be updated also so staff know to talk about mobility scooters and applicants & new tenants know they can’t have one unless it is small enough to be stored safely in their own home, or it is possible to be safely accommodated externally. 4.8 A slight amendment to the current tenancy agreement has also been suggested to make this guidance more enforceable for officers dealing with tenants that repeatedly leave their scooters in communal areas.
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We propose Section 2.13 should read: ‘No property belonging to you, anyone residing with you, or anyone visiting you, including but not limited to bicycles, motorcycles, or prams, should be stored in any of the common parts except in areas set aside for storage. Scooters, E-bikes, and mobility scooters and similar can only be stored in a designated safe area after Landlord consent. You must not do anything which causes inconvenience or danger to anyone using the common parts.’ 4.9 The Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing Specialised Housing sets out how to safely store scooters. The guidance considers a range of possible storage options, a one size fits all approach will not work as each sheltered complex is different. The provision of storage for mobility scooters will be taken forward by the Better Homes group. 4.10 This guidance will then be reviewed again when storage is available and extended into a Mobility Scooter Policy, which will have the same guidance within in it, but will also have the details on storage options and how to apply for Sheltered Accommodation if you have or wish to be able to purchase a mobility scooter. 5. People Implications 5.1 There are no direct people implications. 6. Financial and Procurement implications 6.1 There are no direct financial implications within this report. The development of future storage options will be taken forward through the Better Homes Project Board. 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 There are no significant identifiable risk associated with this guidance as it aims to reduce the risk of fires in communal areas. 8 Environmental Sustainability 8.1 Our current and future approach to strategic housing asset management will continue to prioritise a ‘zero carbon’ approach to decision making and deliverability and this will be done the aims of the Housing Asset Management Strategy and the Council’s Climate Change Strategy.
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9. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) 9.1 An EIA assessment has been completed and is included as appendix 2 to this report, a further EIA will be carried out when the guidance is developed as a future policy. 10. Consultation 10.1 The introduction of the guidance was approved by the Housing Improvement earlier this year and that included a consultative exercise with all areas of the housing service. The guidance has also been discussed with the West Dunbartonshire Tenants and Residents Organisation (WDTRO). Information days for sheltered residents were also held on the 16th & 18th of April 2024 which SFRS attending to endorse the guidance and arrange any future home fire safety visits. 11. Strategic Assessment 11.1 This guidance is in accordance with the Fire Scotland Act 2005 and Fire Regulations 2006 – Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing Specialised Housing and contributes to all the Council’s strategic priorities. Peter Barry Chief Officer, Housing and Employability Date: 7 August 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Person to Contact: John Kerr – Housing Development and Homelessness Manager, Housing Development and Homelessness Team, Housing and Employability, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton, G82 1QL, telephone: 01389 737889, email: john.kerr@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Kathryn Irvine, Senior Housing Development Officer, Housing Development and Homelessness Team, Housing and Employability: email kathryn.irvince@west- dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: 1. Draft Mobility Scooter Guidance 2. Mobility Scooter Guidance Equalities Impact Assessment, August 2024 Background Papers: None Wards Affected: All