Building
retirement living earlier as the drive to be easily connected to shops, entertainment, and leisure activities is greater. An example of this in a conservation area in West London is the conversion of a redundant care home which we designed to bring the building back to life. While the residents have many facilities onsite – including a terrace overlooking the adjacent Royal parks – they are also located on Kensington High Street, so have easy access to restaurants, movie theatres, shops, and theatres, so life pulls them to interact with their local environment, and similarly the local community go into the care home through visiting, local producers supplying goods and services, and employment. The UK is stuck in a spiral of an
overbearing house crisis. Rent, fees, purchase prices, and taxes make the whole process unappealing and demotivating to the masses. Carless + Adams has previously talked about the perception of care in one of our white papers but this focus needs impetus and we are positive this can change. Dialogue around care provision is starting politically and we need to drive this further, engaging sellers and buyers across all ages could kick start the process with the vigour it needs. Much talk has been made in the care industry around the removal of last time house move stamp duty. It requires a much more inspiring name (!); however, the concept and incentive is an idea that has great potential. The housing stock in the UK is stuck in a circle of desperate first-time buyers in an endless cycle of renting, and elderly individuals living solo in large family homes that no longer fit their needs. Homes do not necessarily need to be built on the green belt – there are other options that can be explored.
Big misconceptions It would be naive to think that simply handing green belts and heritage areas to developers would solve the housing crisis. There is a big misconception that the demand for new homes needs to be fulfilled by land within the green belt. We need to reassess urban areas that have lost impetus and community since the massive shift in life that the pandemic so unkindly left in its wake. Redevelopment of the high street is ideal for use for retirement living. It would bring communities back to life and encourage the much longed for intergenerational living. Deep within Fulham, we worked on design combining an existing Grade II listed
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building with a modern addition to bring care to an area where it was needed. This addition complimented the already-present building by preserving a heritage building and combining it with contemporary living. The space was available and the combination of the two buildings brings synergy to the area that was missing previously.
As with all debates, there are many sides but there is one fact that is all agreed upon – we live in an ageing society, recognise how long planning and development takes, and must consider the needs of the retired in the future. If something is designed now, the planning and construction process will take at least four years before residents can move in, so we need to be focussing on needs that will be present 10-15 years away and start planning for solutions now. This is where the green belt is most under threat – because what we need now is not necessarily what we will end up needing later, and this needs to be considered now. Development in the green belt is at times
required, but there should be a holistic view of housing in the UK with a change in policy that could avoid the sensitive debate over green belt development. Major investment in a real plan that tackles all aspects of the housing crisis and identifying the areas that could kick start this process is required. Our population has a growing number of people over the age of 65 and the number is increasing. Development will occur in the green belt and will be required long-term, and by using mechanisms such as the care needs and weighted balance assessments, we can ensure that this development only occurs when the necessity is there and designs are made sensitive to the local environment and residents.
Sources
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/ research-briefings/sn00934/
https://www.ons.gov.uk/
peoplepopulationandcommunity/ birthsdeathsandmarriages/ageing/ articles/profileoftheolderpopulation livinginenglandandwalesin2021and changessince2011/2023-04-03
https://researchbriefings.files.
parliament.uk/documents/SN00934/ SN00934.pdf
Melissa Magee
Melissa Magee is Company Director + Architect at Carless + Adams, an independent architectural practice that has an exclusive focus on the design of integrated retirement communities, supported living and care accommodation. Carless + Adams is dedicated to reimagining integrated retirement, supported living and care accommodation communities, changing perceptions and enabling a move into these environments to be a positive and proactive one.
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com March 2024
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