Scottish Parliament committee visits dementia design project at Stirling University
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The Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee.
Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee have visited the site of a housing project aimed at encouraging healthy ageing this week as they discussed Scotland’s future housing and planning needs.
Following a business planning day where the Committee heard from the Scottish Government Minister for Local Government Empowerment & Planning, Joe Fitzpatrick MSP, Housing Minister Paul McLennan MSP and representatives from COSLA, the Committee visited the Designing Homes for Healthy Cognitive Ageing (DesHCA) project, based in the University of Stirling.
The MSPs included Committee Convener Ariane Burgess MSP, Miles Briggs MSP, Ivan McKee MSP, Willie Coffey MSP, Marie McNair MSP and Annie Wells MSP.
Convener Ariane Burgess MSP in Stirling.
DesHCA, funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), investigates how Scotland’s homes can support people as they age, looking at innovative solutions such as how new houses are designed and how best to retrofit existing buildings.
Following the visit, committee convener, Ariane Burgess MSP, said: “Developing increasingly adaptable and accessible homes for the future is key to enabling those with physical or cognitive challenges to live better lives, in their own homes for longer.
“Visiting the DesHCA project to learn more about the world-leading research being undertaken by the team at the University of Stirling to create future-proof housing, to meet the needs of the Scotland and the world’s ageing population, has given the Committee a new perspective on housing design.
LGHP Committee and COSLA Representatives.
“It’s clear Scotland has the opportunity to lead the way in developing innovative housing design solutions and retrofitting options to ensure people, particularly those living with dementia, can live independently for longer.
“The Committee has a clear focus on looking at how to improve Scotland’s housing stock to meet the needs of everyone and what we’ve learned on the visit will help inform our work going forward as we consider the needs of an ageing population.”
Professor Alison Bowes of the University of Stirling’s Faculty of Social Sciences, who led the tour, added: “The University of Stirling is at the heart of discussions on healthy ageing, and DesHCA plays a vital part in that as we learn how to shape our housing stock to better adapt for an ageing population.”
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