The survey, titled: Unlocking Potential – Real Estate: Unlocking Potential for Seniors Housing Development, states that 32% of local authorities don’t have clear policies in place to support housing seniors in suitable accommodation.

It goes on to point out that that lack of planning is of particular concern due to the fact that the forecasted number of people aged over 65 will increase by 15 million by 2043… that’s 1 in 4 of the population will be over 65 by 2043.

“While previous research has shown significant progress, our latest analysis suggests that over the last two years, the pace of change has stalled. A third of local authorities are still to adopt specific planning policies and site allocations addressing seniors housing. Some 34 have moved backwards over the last two years. The appetite from investors and developers to deliver more age-appropriate housing is clear and growing. A more consistent and supportive policy environment will unlock more supply, more propositions, and more choice for seniors.”

Oliver Knight – Partner and Head of Residential Research, Knight Frank

The new survey builds on existing reports carried out in 2017, 2020 and again in 2022, which actually ranked local authorities from A to D based on their plans for senior housing in their districts.

A was the best ranking, showing a local authority had clear policies to achieve housing goals and care home beds, with specific site allocations for development, whilst a ranking of D indicated a local authority didn’t have clear policies and had no site allocation.

What’s concerning about this report is that, of the 326 local authorities in England, some had actually gone backwards, with only 23% being grade A, 33.7% achieving a B, 14.4% receiving a C and 31.9% being graded D.

“Planning remains one of the biggest challenges facing the seniors housing sector in England. It’s now 2024, seven years since we started running this survey, and there are still less than a quarter of A graded local authorities – only 75 out of 326 that have both clear policies in place and site allocations. The number of councils not adequately planning for an ageing population remains significant. More concerningly, the rate of change has stalled over the last two years, meaning that we are failing to make progress just when the need is becoming increasingly acute. This year’s survey is released in the run up to a general election and at the end of a period of unprecedented political turmoil. Since the last report was published there have been two changes of Prime Minister, three Secretaries of State at DLUHC and six Housing Ministers. We have seen the Levelling-Up & Regeneration Act 2023 enter the statute books, major amendments made to the NPPF, and the publication of more than a dozen consultations on a wide variety of proposed reforms to the planning system. Against that background, the policy inertia that we have experienced is disappointing, but probably not surprising. We have seen a decline in the number of new Local Plans as several local authorities have either delayed or withdrawn their local plans as they try to get to grips with ever moving and changing government policy.”

Nicola Gooch – Planning partner, Irwin Mitchell