Housing and Regeneration Act 2008

2 Objects

(1) The objects of the HCA are—

(a) to improve the supply and quality of housing in England,

(b) to secure the regeneration or development of land or infrastructure in England,

(c) to support in other ways the creation, regeneration or development of communities in England or their continued well-being, and

(d) to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development and good design in England,

with a view to meeting the needs of people living in England.

(2) In subsection (1)—

• “good design” includes design which has due regard to the needs of elderly persons and disabled persons,

• “needs” includes future needs,

and the reference to improving the supply of housing includes a reference to improving the supply of particular kinds of housing.

(3) In this Part—

• “building” means a building or other structure (including a house-boat or caravan),

• “caravan” has the meaning given by section 29(1) of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 (c. 2),

• “housing” means a building, or part of a building, occupied or intended to be occupied as a dwelling or as more than one dwelling; and includes a hostel which provides temporary residential accommodation,

• “infrastructure” includes—

  (a)

  water, electricity, gas, telecommunications, sewerage or other services,

  (b)

  roads or other transport facilities,

  (c)

  retail or other business facilities,

  (d)

  health, educational, employment or training facilities,

  (e)

  social, religious or recreational facilities,

  (f)

  cremation or burial facilities, and

  (g)

  community facilities not falling within paragraphs (a) to (f),

• “land” includes housing or other buildings (and see also the definition in Schedule 1 to the Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30)),

and references to housing include (where the context permits) any yard, garden, outhouses and appurtenances belonging to, or usually enjoyed with, the building or part of building concerned.

(4) See also sections 19(5) (financial assistance), 44 (local government involvement) and 52 (role of the HCA in relation to certain former functions of the Commission for the New Towns).