Planning problems create 144,000 care home bed shortfall

Tens of thousands more care home beds are needed within the next decade, but are being held up by the planning system. With the number of people aged over 80 in the UK forecast to rise by a million to 4.5m by 2032, research from Savills has found that an additional 144,000 care home beds will be required to meet demand. Savills said there was still a “stark shortfall”, despite the 14,500 care home beds delivered since 2020, and the 30,000 in the development pipeline. It said the key factor limiting the number of beds related to challenges with obtaining planning permission. Last year, only 46% of the 221 new care home applications that were submitted secured planning permission, with the average application taking 175 days to get the go ahead. It said the National Planning Policy Framework needed to be redrafted, as it currently “makes little more than a passing reference to housing for older people, including care homes”. The Times (£)