From Planning Battles to Beautiful Homes: The Story of 1 Level Developments

Season 2 - Ep 1 Summary In this episode of Accessible Housing Matters UK, Ruth kicks off Season 2 with a deep dive into accessible bungalow design with small-scale developer Allan Craigen, founder and director of  1 level Developments.. Allan shares his journey from running a scaffolding business to buying a modest plot of land at auction with the vision of creating a flagship accessible bungalow scheme. He and Ruth talk candidly about planning refusals over garden sizes, the true cost of surveys and drainage strategies, and why choosing the right architect and builder is absolutely critical when you’re aiming for more than just “wide doors and a ramp”. They then dig into the nuts and bolts of inclusive design: hybrid M4(2)/M4(3) layouts, level thresholds instead of ramps, properly sized bathrooms and hallways, reinforced walls for future grab rails, and an accessible kitchen designed with input from accessibility specialist Adam Thomas. Allan is refreshingly honest about the mistakes, the extra costs (hello piling!), and what he’d do differently next time to make accessible development scalable, sellable, and commercially viable. Whether you’re a developer, investor, designer, OT, or you just care about where we’re all going to live as we age, this episode is full of practical insight from someone who’s learning by doing – one accessible bungalow at a time. Chapters 00:00 – Welcome, Season 2 intro & meet Allan 02:06 – From scaffolding to small developer: Allan’s background 06:25 – Buying the plot at auction & why bungalows 10:48 – First planning application and refusal over garden sizes 14:45 – Surveys, drainage strategies & the hidden cost of planning 18:33 – Should you do pre-apps and options? Lessons in risk 24:00 – Finding the right architect and discovering accessibility isn’t “just wider doors” 27:45 – Hallways, bathrooms & a hybrid approach between M4(2) and M4(3) 33:20 – Designing an accessible kitchen with Symphony and Adam Thomas 37:38 – Bathroom layouts, grab rails, plywood backing & real-life usability 45:10 – MMC vs traditional build, piling costs and below-ground surprises 52:00 – Working with builders: level thresholds, ramps and practical site issues 59:40 – Heating choices, underfloor vs radiators and keeping corridors clear 01:02:20 – Selling the bungalows & creating a bespoke combined home 01:07:35 – Key learnings, what Allan would do differently & marketing future schemes 01:12:20 – How to connect with Allan & closing thoughts Keywords Accessible housing, Accessible bungalows, Single-storey homes, Ageing in place, Universal design, Part M, M4(2), M4(3), Inclusive design, Planning permission, Garden size standards, Developers, Property investors, Accessible kitchens, Wet rooms, Level access, Building costs, Piling, Small-scale development, Future-proof homes Contact details Allan Craigen – Founder, Level One Developments 📞 07815 152693 🔗 Connect with Allan on LinkedIn (search: Allan Craigen)     Thanks for listening to Accessible Housing Matters UK! If you’re inspired to learn more or want to explore working with me on creating accessible, inclusive, and beautiful properties, I’d love to hear from you. 👉 Visit www.veredusproperty.com 📩 Email me directly at [email protected] 🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ruthhunter Together, we can make accessible housing the standard, not the exception. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who cares about inclusive living!