Planning for retirement: How retirement communities can help meet the needs of our ageing population

This report, produced jointly by the County Councils Network (CCN) and ARCO, examines how retirement communities can play an important role in supporting healthy ageing and reducing pressure on health and social care systems. With England’s older population growing rapidly, this study highlights the limitations of the current binary housing model that separates independent retirement housing from care homes. The report finds that retirement communities could help people remain independent for longer, reduce hospital admissions and delay the need for costly residential care. However, provision in England remains very low compared with similar countries, partly due to inconsistent definitions, planning barriers and fragmented responsibilities in two‑tier local authority areas. The report concludes that closer collaboration between county and district councils, clearer national policy and reform of the planning system are needed to unlock growth in this sector. Recommendations to government include: Establish a cross‑government taskforce on housing and care for older people Create a new planning use class for retirement communities offering care and support Strengthen collaboration between counties and districts in two‑tier areas Create a health and housing funding pot to offset lost planning contributions Embed older people’s housing policies in local plans Increase public and professional awareness of retirement communities Provide capital funding and land support for affordable schemes