Natasha Styles •3 years ago Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Havant Borough Council Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation. McCarthy Stone is the leading provider of specialist housing for older people for sale. It is noted that the ‘Joint Strategy’ being prepared by PUSH will including looking at the level of housing need in the region and is yet to be published and that on page 54 that the council proposed to draft a policy on ‘Retirement and specialist housing – to ensure that provision is made to meet the needs of an aging population’, and this is welcomed. The council also propose to draft a policy covering ‘High quality new homes – including any requirements for minimum internal space standards, outdoor amenity space, accessibility and adaptability standards and wheelchair accessibility standards’. Government’s policy, as set out in para 60 of the revised NPPF, is to boost significantly, the supply of housing. Paragraph 62 identifies within this context, the size, and type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community should be assessed and reflected in planning policies including older people. In June 2019, the PPG was updated to include a section on Housing for Older and Disabled People, recognising the need to provide housing for older people. Paragraph 001 Reference ID: 63-001-20190626 states:“The need to provide housing for older people is critical. People are living longer lives and the proportion of older people in the population is increasing. In mid-2016 there were 1.6 million people aged 85 and over; by mid-2041 this is projected to double to 3.2 million. Offering older people a better choice of accommodation to suit their changing needs can help them live independently for longer, feel more connected to their communities and help reduce costs to the social care and health systems. Therefore, an understanding of how the ageing population affects housing needs is something to be considered from the early stages of plan-making through to decision-taking” (emphasis added)Paragraph 003 Reference ID: 63-003-20190626 recognises that “the health and lifestyles of older people will differ greatly, as will their housing needs, which can range from accessible and adaptable general needs housing to specialist housing with high levels of care and support.” Thus, a range of provision needs to be planned for and recognising that housing for older people has its own requirements and cannot be successfully considered against criteria for general family housing is important. Paragraph 006 Reference ID: 63-006-20190626 sets out “plan-making authorities should set clear policies to address the housing needs of groups with particular needs such as older and disabled people. These policies can set out how the plan-making authority will consider proposals for the different types of housing that these groups are likely to require.”Need for Older Persons’ Housing It is well documented that the UK faces an ageing population. Life expectancy is greater than it used to be and as set out above by 2032 the number of people in the UK aged over 80 is set to increase from 3.2 million to 5 million (ONS mid 2018 population estimates).It is generally recognised (for example The Homes for Later Living Report September 2019). That there is a need to deliver 30,000 retirement and extra care houses a year in the UK to keep pace with demand. The age profile of Havant can be drawn from the 2018 population projections from the Office for National Statistics. This advises that there were 29,352 persons aged 65 and over in 2018, accounting for 23.3% of the total population of the Borough. This age range is projected to increase by 13,033 individuals, or 44.4%, to 42,385 between 2018 and 2043. The population aged 65 and over is expected to increase to account for 29.5% of the total population of the Borough by 2043.In 2018 there were 8,581 persons aged 80 and over, individuals who are more likely to be frail and in need of long-term assistance. The number of people in this age range is forecasted to increase by 6,638 individuals, or 77.4%, to 15,219 between 2018 and 2043. The population aged 80 and over is anticipated to represent a higher proportion of Havant’s residents, accounting for 6.8% of the total population in 2018 and increasing to 10.6% by 2043. It is therefore clear there will be a significant increase in older persons’ over the Plan Period in Havant and the provision of suitable housing and care to meet the needs of this demographic should be a priority of the emerging Local Plan. The Plan should be ensure that a policy is incorporated to address Retirement and specialist housing as committed to on page 54 of the Issues and Options document. Benefits of Older Persons’ Housing Older peoples housing produces a large number of significant benefits which can help to reduce the demands exerted on Health and Social Services and other care facilities – not only in terms of the fact that many of the residents remain in better health, both physically and mentally, but also doctors, physiotherapists, community nurses, hairdressers and other essential practitioners can all attend to visit several occupiers at once. This leads to a far more efficient and effective use of public resources.EconomicA report ‘Healthier and Happier’ An analysis of the fiscal and wellbeing benefits of building more homes for later living” by WPI Strategy for Homes for Later Living explored the significant savings that Government and individuals could expect to make if more older people in the UK could access this type of housing. The analysis showed that:
‘Each person living in a home for later living enjoys a reduced risk of health challenges, contributing to fiscal savings to the NHS and social care services of approximately £3,500 per year.
Building 30,000 more retirement housing dwellings every year for the next 10 years would generate fiscal savings across the NHS and social services of £2.1bn per year.
On a selection of national well-being criteria such as happiness and life satisfaction, an average person aged 80 feels as good as someone 10 years younger after moving from mainstream housing to housing specially designed for later living.’
A further report entitled Silver Saviours for the High Street : How new retirement properties create more local economic value and more local jobs than any other type of residential housing (February 2021) found that retirement properties create more local economic value and more local jobs than any other type of residential development. For an average 45 unit retirement scheme built in a sustainable location, the residents generate £550,000 of spending a year, £347,000 of which is spent on the high street, directly contributing to keeping local shops open and high streets vibrant. As recognised by the PPG, Retirement housing releases under-occupied family housing and plays a very important role in recycling of housing stock in general. There is a ‘knock-on’ effect in terms of the whole housing chain enabling more effective use of existing housing. In the absence of choice, older people will stay put in properties that are often unsuitable for them until such a time as they need expensive residential care. A further Report “Chain Reaction” The positive impact of specialist retirement housing on the generational divide and first-time buyers (Aug 2020)” reveals that about two in every three retirement properties built, releases a home suitable for a first-time buyer. A typical Homes for Later Living development which consists of 40 apartments therefore results in at least 27 first time buyer properties being released onto the market. Social Retirement housing gives rise to many social benefits:
Specifically designed housing for older people offers significant opportunities to enable residents to be as independent as possible in a safe and warm environment. Older homes are typically in a poorer state of repair, are often colder, damper, have more risk of fire and fall hazards. They lack in adaptions such as handrails, wider internal doors, stair lifts and walk in showers. Without these simple features everyday tasks can become harder and harder.
Retirement housing helps to reduce anxieties and worries experienced by many older people living in housing which does not best suit their needs by providing safety, security and reducing management and maintenance concerns.
The Housing for Later Living Report (2019) shows that on a selection of wellbeing criteria such as happiness and life satisfaction, an average person aged 80 feels as good as someone 10 years younger after moving from mainstream housing into housing specifically designed for later living.
EnvironmentalThe proposal provides a number of key environmental benefits by:
Making more efficient use of land thereby reducing the need to use limited land resources for housing.
Providing housing in close proximity to services and shops which can be easily accessed on foot thereby reducing the need for travel by means which consume energy and create emissions.
Providing shared facilities for a large number of residents in a single building which makes more efficient use of material and energy resources.
RecommendationsGiven all these factors, evidence and the guidance of the PPG, we consider that the best approach towards meeting the diverse housing needs of older people is for the plan to identify a robust level of housing needed to meet the requirement of older people through updating any housing needs study, allocate specific sites to meet the needs of older people that are in the most sustainable locations close to key services as well as including a standalone policy actively supporting the delivery of specialist older people’s housing in the main urban area and smaller settlements and other locations with good access to services and facilities for older people. Developers should not be required to demonstrate need, given the many benefits that such developments bring and if a quantum is specified this should be regarded as a target and not a ceiling. Given also that such developments “help reduce costs to the social care and health systems” (PPG refers), requirements to assess impact on healthcare services and/or make contributions should be avoided. While we appreciate that no one planning approach will be appropriate for all areas, an example policy is provided that, we hope, will provide a useful reference for the Council: “The Council will encourage the provision of specialist housing for older people across all tenures in sustainable locations. The Council aims to ensure that older people are able to secure and sustain independence in a home appropriate to their circumstances by providing appropriate housing choice, particularly retirement housing and Extra Care Housing/Housing with Care. The Council will, through the identification of sites, allowing for windfall developments, and / or granting of planning consents in sustainable locations, provide for the development of retirement accommodation, residential care homes, close care, Extra Care and assisted care housing and Continuing Care Retirement Communities.” We would also remind the council of the following:
That adaptable houses that enable older people to stay in their homes for longer is not, in itself, an appropriate manner of meeting the housing needs of older people. Such homes do not provide the on-site support, care and companionship of specialist older persons’ housing developments. They also do not provide the wider community benefits such as releasing under occupied family housing as well as savings to the public purse by reducing the stress of health and social care budgets. A supportive local planning policy framework that does not just rely on adaptable housing, will be crucial in increasing the delivery of specialist older persons’ housing.
The increased emphasis on Local Plan viability testing in Paragraph 58 of the NPPF and that the PPG states that “The role for viability assessment is primarily at the plan making stage. Viability assessment should not compromise sustainable development but should be used to ensure that policies are realistic, and that the total cumulative cost of all relevant policies will not undermine deliverability of the plan” (Paragraph: 002 Reference ID: 10-002-20190509). The evidence underpinning the Council’s planning obligations and building requirements should therefore be robust.
The viability of specialist older persons’ housing is more finely balanced than ‘general needs’ housing and we are strongly of the view that these housing typologies should be robustly assessed in the forthcoming Local Plan Viability Assessment. This would accord with the typology approach detailed in Paragraph: 004 (Reference ID: 10-004-20190509) of the PPG which states that. “A typology approach is a process plan makers can follow to ensure that they are creating realistic, deliverable policies based on the type of sites that are likely to come forward for development over the plan period. If this is not done, the delivery of much needed specialised housing for older people may be significantly delayed with protracted discussion about other policy areas such as affordable housing policy requirements which are wholly inappropriate when considering such housing need.
