What changes to government policy would you like to see that would allow you to build more homes?

Clarification of rents and grant to support Independent Retirement Community (IRC) development whether as shared ownership or affordable rent. Too much delay in policy at local level as it can be seen to fall between the cracks around local policy and generally unsupported locally despite all the need and challenges and opportunity to the country such as freeing up family homes and reducing NHS and social care demand.

IRC development is expensive and while two-thirds of our programme is around affordable homes we also develop outright sales schemes. Both meet identified need and fulfill the same function of rightsizing and freeing up family homes as well as producing care savings.

We are calling for a new planning classification for retirement housing which could help unlock pending investment in the sector while bringing later living accommodation to the forefront of the housing shortage conversation. It would also serve to improve understanding of the sector among local authorities, help to increase the amount of retirement housing included in Local Plans and make for a smoother planning process.