ARCO, the membership body for housing-with-care operators, is calling on ministers to bring forward a National Development Management Policy (NDMP) for older people’s housing.
ARCO, which represents integrated retirement community (IRC) operators, has published a model NDMP for older people’s housing and is calling on the government to adopt it.
NDMPs are proposed national planning rules intended to create more consistency among councils and accelerate decisions. The government is launching a consultation on a first suite of NDMPs before the end of the year.
ARCO’s model NDMP says that the specific and unique characteristics of specialist housing for older people proposed should be adopted. It is also recommending a more flexible approach to take account of the benefits that older people’s housing can deliver.
Planning for a rapidly ageing population
ARCO’s chief executive Michael Voges says: “We have a rapidly ageing population, but far too many local authorities cling to planning policies that make no reference to older people. As the government prepares for sweeping planning reforms, it’s vital ministers do not miss the opportunity to help the country adapt to societal ageing and enable more older people to access the benefits of specialist housing.”
Lord Best, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Housing and Care for Older People, says: “We need better housing options for older people to meet the dual demands on housing and social care, and the government’s new National Development Management Policies should take this into account. An NDMP on older people’s housing is an essential key to unlock the development of high-quality, accessible homes for older people.”
Matt Turmaine, the Labour MP for Watford and chair of the IRC Parliamentary Champions Group, comments: “Britain has an ageing population and a housing crisis. The government has put housebuilding front and centre of its policy programme. It is essential that local authorities are mindful of their demographics when devising and implementing development. IRCs offer a great opportunity to help fix this situation and I welcome the opportunity for the government to review all options available.”
Keeping seniors more independent for longer
Hardev Thandy, head of growth and construction at the ExtraCare Charitable Trust, says: “Evidence published by the government confirms that housing-with-care improves older people’s wellbeing and reduces demands on the NHS. However, far too few local planning authorities have adequate policies in place for older people, making it much harder for operators to bring forward new schemes. Something radical needs to change and it is vital that the government adopts an NDMP for older people’s housing.”
Iain Warner, senior director at Tetlow King Planning says: “Having worked within the older people’s housing sector for many years, I have seen all too often the problems that are associated with local authorities having no development plan policy to deliver housing for an ageing population. This can ultimately trap people in their homes and reduce choices for everyone. If the government is going down the NDMP route, it’s a no-brainer that one of the first NDMPs should be for older people’s housing so we can finally get this vital sector moving and meet a critical need.”
Professor Les Mayhew, City University, author of ‘The Mayhew Review: Future Proofing Retirement Living’, says: “My 2022 deep-dive review emphasised that we urgently need to build many more homes for older people, and that planning policy has a critical role in facilitating this to create age friendlier walkable neighbourhoods and communities. This proposed model NDMP meets this challenge head-on: by promoting specialist housing for older people where there is an identified need, accounting for the social and economic benefits that this can deliver, which were outlined extensively in the Review.”