Older People's Strategy - Newcastle City Council

95Older people also want access to safe, well-maintained parks,green spaces and allotments. Through their involvement infriends’ groups, older people are already demonstrating theircommitment to the regeneration and maintenance of many ofthe city’s parks, for example through the creation of sensorygardens. There is more scope for making use of the parks topromote exercise (walking or green gyms) and intergenerationalopportunities. The Local Development Framework and theGreen Spaces Strategy take account of these aspirations intheir aim to maintain and develop parks and open spaces forformal and informal recreation (www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/greenspacesstrategy?opendocument).Actions Continue to support the involvement of older people tohelp develop policies and proposals through the LocalDevelopment Framework and related action plans. Undertake a study of older people’s housing requirementsand research into demands for housing services, anddevelop a plan jointly with housing, health and social careagencies to meet these requirements. Continue to seek good quality design for new and refurbishedhomes, including adopting ‘lifetime homes standards’. Produce an implementation plan to ensure that the Council’ssheltered housing stock meets older people’s requirements. Build a further 40 extra care units by 2010. Produce a framework for the Housing, Health and SafetyRating system so that older people can access advice andservices to live independently in a safe environment.