Planning
space. Consequently, densities are lower than a typical housing development and profit margins are lower. This means that operators and promoters of such schemes often find themselves taking marginal sites which are less attractive to the volume housebuilders.
The most suitable sites for care homes and retirement villages tend to be on the edge of settlements. This includes former agricultural land and / or undeveloped sites. But many lie within the Green Belt and, increasingly, policies which disincentivise Green Belt release result in these sites evaporating.
The need for quieter, greener locations The fact is that few care homes need to be located in urban areas. For retirement homes targeted at those as young as 55, there are benefits to being located in the heart of a community – close to shops and other amenities, and with good access to public transport. But care homes do not generally require a central location. Most are better suited to quieter, semi-rural sites, with greater potential for open spaces and attractive views in place of amenities. The revised NPPF states an intention
to increase the supply of care homes. But the unfortunate consequence of the proposals could be that delivery of older people’s accommodation and homes will be hindered rather than ‘significantly increased’ as a result of the revisions.
Making a case for greenfield development In practice, we find that gaining planning consent for a development on greenfield land is dependent on the benefits that the scheme brings. Aside from the obvious social benefits of addressing need and providing suitable facilities, the case in favour of a care home always benefits from solid environmental credentials – for example, achieving greater energy efficiency through use of ground or air source heat pumps, and providing over the requisite requirement of biodiversity net gain. Following the Environment Act 2022, all new developments are required to provide at least 10 per cent higher levels of biodiversity than existed on the site prior to development. While seemingly challenging for a scheme built on greenfield land, this can be achieved through many means, not solely gardens and green spaces but also green roofs, green walls and window
boxes. Biodiversity need not be determined by the square footage of green land, so much as the ability for various species to flourish there. While most local authorities currently look set to require a minimum 10 per cent biodiversity net gain, if a planning application can demonstrate the ability to deliver 20 per cent or 30 per cent, its potential for success will increase. There is also an increased likelihood of a scheme gaining local authority support if is non-speculative – if a care home operator is ready and waiting to the scheme, planning consent is more likely.
The potential of Build to Rent schemes An alternative route to success is the potential amalgamation of a care home into a larger, mixed use scheme. BTR suburban communities, developments of family homes, located outside urban areas, have seen unprecedented and unrelenting success over the last few years. This is undoubtedly (in part at least) due to the ability of such schemes to attract a diverse demographic. BTR suburban communities grew out of an opportunity to meet the changing needs of BTR’s original target market: providing homes for maturing
January 2024
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
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